Engineers have created a creepy prototype webcam shaped just like the human eye, called the Eyecam. Inspired by animatronics, Eyecam attaches to the front of a computer monitor and looks left and right – and even blinks – while tracking the face of each individual during a video call. At first glance, it looks scarily realistic, right down to the wrinkles in the skin, the individual hairs that make up the eyebrows and the red vessels over the white of the eye. Eyecam – which is comprised of motors surrounded by 3D-printed silicone – is open source, meaning you could create your own version at home. Most webcams are too small to be seen - but it's unlikely you'll have the same problem with Eyecam, which has been created because'eyes are crucial for communication' Comedian Lewis Spears discovers Prince Philip's death live on-stage St. Vincent PM: Vaccinated cruise ship passengers evacuated first Eyecam has been created by Marc Teyssier and his team at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at Saarland University, Germany.

Scientists have developed an artificial skin that allows devices such as smartphones and computers to ''feel'' the user''s grasp, pressure and location, and can even detect interactions such as tickling, caressing, twisting and pinching. The Skin-On interface, developed by researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK in partnership with Telecomm ParisTech and Sorbonne University in France, mimics human skin in appearance as well as sensing resolution. The researchers adopted a bio-driven approach to developing a multi-layer, silicone membrane that mimics the layers present in human skin. This is made up of a surface textured layer, an electrode layer of conductive threads and a hypodermis layer, the researchers said. Not only is the interface more natural than a rigid casing, it can also detect a plethora of gestures made by the end-users, they said.

The future of smartphones might not be flashy technology like augmented reality, but a device that actually takes a page from the real world - at least, if one researcher has his way. Marc Teyssier, a PhD student at the University of Paris-Saclay in France, has developed the'MobiLimb,' a robotic finger that turns into a phone accessory when it's plugged into a USB port. It serves as a literal helping hand, functioning as a phone stand, extra grip to hold onto your phone or a way to act out emojis. The robotic finger is fitted with a series of actuators and sensors that allow it to move and interact with users. Actuators, or motors, are mounted in each link of the finger to give it a full range of motion.