Chairs that mechanically massage your back and shoulders are already popular
in Japan. Now there鈥檚 a chair that goes one better by pinpointing which areas
suffer the most stiffness and tension and need the most massage. Users place
their thumb and forefinger in a sensor that detects changes in perspiration,
pulse and skin temperature when the mechanical massager reaches sensitive areas
of the body. Its manufacturer, Sanyo Electric, expects to use its sensor in
other ways, too. 鈥淔or example, you could put your finger into a sensor on the
wall and it will adjust the air conditioning, based on pulse and skin
temperature,鈥 says a spokesman.
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