Smile Mirror
Mirror that only works when you smile at it
A new mirror won't show a reflection unless you flash it a smile.
The concept may seem playful, but industrial designer Berk Ilhan invented the Smile Mirror to uplift the spirits of cancer patients.
The plug-in device looks like a tablet with a built-in camera and an opaque surface made with a smart material triggered by proprietary software. It includes facial recognition technology that captures the face.
The surface becomes reflective, like an traditional mirror, when it recognizes a smile. Just like a conventional mirror, it can hang on the wall or sit on a table.
Smile Mirror is a smart and emotional mirror that allows users to see themselves only when they smile. Initially designed for cancer patients, Smile Mirror aims to remind and encourage people to smile more often, and to view themselves smiling. Studies show that making a facial expression such as a smile can produce effects on the body that are similar to those resulting from the smile’s associated emotion of happiness. Through the combination of a glass mirror, a camera to detect facial movement, and a processor board, Smile Mirror automates a therapeutic practice by providing a new way for people to express our most positive and loving selves.
The Smile Mirror was inspired by Ilhan's conversation with a cancer survivor.
"She told me in the first days after her diagnosis, it was difficult for her to look in the mirror and acknowledge she had cancer," he said. "Our facial expressions affect how we feel. If we flex our facial muscles to smile, our brains think that something good happened and as a result, [we feel] happiness."
Ilhan is currently producing the Smile Mirror in limited quantities. The price, however, is expensive. As of now, it costs between $2,000 to $3,000.
But the product will soon launch on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, where Ilhan hopes to raise enough funds to produce it in larger quantities and bring down the price to under $500.
Ilhan's goal is to donate Smile Mirrors to hospitals. He intends for it to appeal to larger audiences.
"Anyone can buy one," he said. "If you give it to someone, you are gifting them a smile."