Sony Wants to Make Wigs the Next Frontier in Technology

Wearable technology has long been accepted as the wave of the future. And Sony’s taking that premise very literally with its latest patent application, for something called a ‘SmartWig’. Its name gives no illusions: the device, if you can call it that, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a wig embedded with technology that allows it to collect and process data and interface with other devices.

The SmartWig, which is intended to be worn over natural hair, can be made up of any number of textiles, including human hair, wool, feathers, and hair from different kinds of animals. The device’s sensors and transmitters will likely be hidden inside the wig itself, giving it next-level inconspicuousness (i.e. creep factor).

If it seems like a wild idea, that’s because it is. But Sony insists it has some uses. "The usage of a wig has several advantages that, compared to known wearable computing devices, include a significantly increased user comfort and an improved handling of the wearable computing device,” the company said, adding that it has the boon of being a “technically intelligent item and fashion item at the same time". 

Among many potential uses, Sony points to navigation for the vision-impaired, virtual reality for the gaming industry, and data collection in the health sector as notable examples.

[via BBC]