Movie streaming service Netflix has a cheeky solution to falling asleep while watching TV: snooze-detecting ‘smart socks.’ That’s right—it’s now possible to start your mid-TV show nap without worrying about missing those important plot points. The gadget pauses your Netflix program when it detects someone dozing off. This isn’t only a victory for television viewers, it’s a victory for America.
But seriously, Netflix actually built a prototype of these socks. What’s more, they were kind enough to give us some DIY tips for building our own. I guess it makes sense, though—it’s not like they were ever going to mass produce these things. Might as well release this life-changing technology into the public domain so everybody can enjoy it.
Check out this video demonstration that Netflix released:
We know what you’re thinking—how exactly does this magical footwear work? Business Insider has a pretty succinct explanation:
“Netflix based the sleep-detection system in the socks off of “actigraphy,” which uses an accelerometer to tell when you’ve stopped moving for a while (presumably when you’ve fallen asleep). In the socks prototype, an LED light in the cuff of the sock begins to flash red when you’ve been immobile, letting you know it is about to pause your show. If you move at all, it cancels the countdown.”
Pretty neat stuff. Now if only Netflix would get busy making the next season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. As our own Jonette writes, it’s a perfect replacement for 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation—if only there was more than one season. Oh well, at least it has plenty of re-watch value. So put on your custom-constructed Netflix-designed sleep detector socks and start binging.
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