Oct 02, 2012 19:30:00

Sony Refrigerator Wins 2012 Good Design Award

The refrigerator 'Happiness Counter ', which is being researched at Sony Computer Science Laboratories and cannot be opened without a smile,

won the 2012 Good Design Award Best 100 . This is a study by Jun Rekimoto of the University of Tokyo, and it seems that it is to promote active smiles in daily life.

Happiness Counter | | Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
https://www.sonycsl.co.jp/tokyo/383/

This is the part that detects the smile of the 'happiness counter'. There is a camera on the smiley face.

When you laugh in front of the refrigerator, the door opens smoothly.

The movie that explains 'Happiness Counter', which is the research of Jun Rekimoto, is from the following.

HappinessCounter: Smile-Encouraging Appliance to Increase Positive Mood on Vimeo


A smile has the power to brighten the place and improve the mood by itself ...

If you live alone, you will have less chance to smile.

According to psychologist

William James , 'People are happy because they laugh, not because they are happy.'

Therefore, by reconfirming the effects and benefits of smiles on the body, we developed an interface design that makes as many people as possible feel happy. The 'Happiness Counter System' that detects smiles was developed. '

When the mirror using the happiness counter system detected a person's smile, the mark on the left became a smile.

On the contrary, if he doesn't smile, Mark will have a sad face.

This technology is also used as a

smile shutter in Sony Cyber-shot.

When the camera detects a smile, the shutter will be released automatically.

The Happiness Counter system, which won the Good Design Award this time, is the application of the Happiness Counter System to refrigerators. Even if I try to open the refrigerator with no expression, the door does not open easily ...

When I put all my strength into pulling the handle, it finally opened.

However, if the happiness counter system attached to the refrigerator detects a smile ...

You can quickly open the door and take out what you need.

I had a male subject use the happiness counter for 10 days ...

I had an awkward smile on the first day, but ...

On the 10th day, the final day of the experiment, you should be able to laugh much more naturally than on the first day. In addition, the refrigerator also has a function to share smile photos with family members living in remote areas, and it can be expected to play a role as a watching system.

Meetings at companies that tend to be squeaky ...

If you set up a happiness counter in front of the room and enter the conference room with a smile, the atmosphere will be brighter and brighter.

In addition to refrigerators, this system is thought to be able to promote smile formation by combining it with various products such as mirrors, doors, and smartphones, and by creating new added value, users will be able to use it more than ever. It is expected to contribute to the creation of a product category of smile-aware home appliances that can be used with attachment to products.