
I’m sure we’ve all been there: knowing that you’re bound to bump into your crush at some point during the day, you prepare a few witticisms in advance, make sure to brush your teeth extra well and pick out an outfit that strikes the perfect balance between casual and “holy crap I’m sexy”. And then, when the object of your affections comes within a few feet of you, you blurt out some nonsense about having seen a really big pigeon on the way there and manage to spit all over yourself. Oh, just me?
Thankfully, for those who find themselves completely tongue-tied when faced with their dream guy or gal, there’s a new…invention that enables the wearer to express their feelings of admiration without saying a word. And it looks wonderfully ridiculous.
Made by Niconico user Nico_Tech, the same person who brought us the Oculus Rift Hatsune Miku drink-sharing simulator, the HeartCap packs a surprising amount of technology. As well as having a pair of enormous, frog-like eyes on top, the helmet is fitted with an array of sensors which monitor the wearer’s heart-rate, know when they’re blinking, and even register when they swallow, mimicking or displaying these actions for the wearer’s crush to see.
▼ LEDs flash when the wearer’s heart-rate is up.
▼ Sensors to monitor blinking, be it nervous or otherwise.
▼ Giant helmet-mounted eyes blink when the wearer does.
▼ A sensor tells the HeartCap when the wearer is swallowing their saliva.
▼ Prompting a small sign to be unfurled, telling the world about it.
Here’s a video showing the HeartCap in action. It certainly works, and we imagine it’d prove to be something of a conversation stimulator, but whether this is going to help anyone actually get a date with their crush is another matter entirely…
Source: Niconico Video via Netorabo
Screenshots: Niconico Video








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