This Refrigerator Only Opens if You Smile


If you're hungry, you better smile: Researchers at the University of Toyko have developed a smile-activated refrigerator, which requires users to flash a grin before entering.

The system, which is called the "The Happiness Counter," aims to naturally encourage smiling in our every day lives. Equipped with built-in Sony CyberShot digital camera that features smile-recognition technology and an attached light sensor, it can sense when a smile has been flashed and unlocks the refrigerator door.

Although you would think this could cure late-night food-binging for those feeling down, it's still possible to open the refrigerator if you don't smile — you just have to tug at it harder.

"We feel that the happiness counter will naturally encourage the act of smiling in the multitude of daily frustrations, thus enhancing a positive mood and the communication of people," a spokesperson said in a product video.

The fridge might actually make smiling easier, too: researchers conducted a series of trials to test its effectiveness and found participants were more likely to smile forcefully in the first few days of using the system, compared to day 10 when people were much more likely to smile naturally.

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The team also believes this type of smile-activated technology has potential to boast productivity and morale in the workplace. For example, a "Happiness Counter" could be installed outside a meeting room, and only those who smile are allowed to enter.

"Increasing the number of smiles in the workplace will enhance the atmosphere for everyone and they might be able to produce some nice ideas," a spokesperson said in the video.

Are you intrigued by the concept? Do you think it could really make a difference in your overall mood and outlook? Let us know in the comments below.

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