Brainwave-Sensing Cat Ears (Somehow) Debut In The US

If you’ve ever found yourself jealous of your cat’s ability to communicate its mood (always sassy) by the simple positioning of its ears, Japanese company and international purveyor of nonsense Necomimi has got you covered. During this week’s San Diego Comic Con, Necomimi announced that its brain-wave reading reactive cat ears will finally make their way to the US market. The Necomimi headset works using a forehead sensor that reads electrical impulses emitted from your brain, filtering them to eliminate any other electric interference, and produces an according reaction with the attached mechanical ears. According to the company, the ears utilize NeuroSky’s Meditation and Relaxation algorithms to detect mental states of relaxation and concentration. When you’re focused on the task at hand the ears will stand up attentively, whereas a calm mental state will result in the ears lying flat against the top of your head. NeuroSky, a California tech company, developed the Necomimi using the same technology as its other brain-computer interface systems. The company’s latest non-feline headset, called the MindWave, allows users to interact with iOS applications using only their thoughts. Check out the video below to see the creepy cat ears in action — pay close attention to how the male pretends not to notice the crazy cat woman approaching him on the sidewalk.

But these brainwave cat ears aren’t just for the lonely, attention hungry Japanese women in pink scarves or the hordes of cosplayers at the San Diego Comic Con. The company pushes stretches the potential applications of the Necomimi device to the absolute limit, saying that “Necomimi is great for parties, tailgating at sporting events, bachelorette parties, cosplay, and can even be used any time to entertain friends and family.”

I can only imagine a small fraction of the kind of colorful comments you’ll be hearing if you were to wear a pair of these to any sort of sporting event, but if the manufacturer says it’s okay… The reactive cat ears are ready to order now through the Necomimi website for $99.95, with more colors, shapes, and ear designs on the way. While they’re not the most innovative application of brain-wave analyzing technology, they’re certain to be an absurdly expensive solution to rounding out this Halloween’s sexy cat costume.