After successfully introducing smartphones, smartwatches and smart cars, researchers have now created smart glasses that can control the wearable device just by rubbing or scratching the nose.

The smart glasses allow the user to reject calls, pause or skip video clips and that too by just scratching one’s own face or specifically the nose.

Using smartphones in public gatherings is usually considered as bad etiquette. Hence, a group of researchers from various universities united together to combat the issue and make a device with the aim to create a way to control wearable technology, without calling attention to the user in a public setting.

The glasses work through three electro-oculography (EOG) sensors fixed in the bridge and nosepads of the frame. These sensors calculate the electric potential of the neighboring tissues. Thus, instead of eye moments, the sensors record nose movements.

According to The Verge, when the nose is touched in different ways, the electric potential alters. These include flicking and pushing the nose to one side or the other, and rubbing the bottom.

One of the researchers Juyoung Lee explained that the system, which is named ‘ItchyNose’, could be used to reduce the social awkwardness when using wearable computers. “If an important text from a spouse comes during a business meeting, the user could check it and dismiss it quickly without calling undue attention to the interaction,” Lee stated.

However, the major challenge faced by the researchers is getting the system to differentiate between intentional and unintentional nose scratches. According to the researchers, the solution for this is to train the system to adapt to each individual’s own mannerisms, reported Tech Juice.