The earbuds of the future will let you control your phone with just the look on your face

You can do just about anything with your smartphone--if you've got a free hand or two, of course. Sure, there've been great strides in accessibility features for those who can't control their phones by swiping around the touchscreen interface, like built-in AI assistants like Siri or Bixby and other hands-free control options--but they depend on voice commands. A project led by German PhD student Denys Matthies looks to give us even more hands-free control over our phones with new hardware that could send out your favorite emoji just by flashing a quick smile IRL. The tech, currently being tested in prototype form, is built into something you're probably already used to wearing for much of the day: earbuds. SEE ALSO: There's now an animated poop-emoji keyboard and we hope you're not eating right now The buds are outfitted with electrodes that can detect and identify different facial muscle movements from changes in the shape of a wearer's ear canal.