日本大肆流行“猫耳”头饰

最近，一款叫做“猫耳”的头箍饰品在日本大肆流行。

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"Necomimi" - "cat's ears" in Japanese: The ears shoot up when the wearer is nervous or focused but flatten when the person is relaxed.

In Japan, they're all ears for he latest in high-tech² fashion.

The stylish³ headgear, a set of white ears that move according to the wearer's thoughts and emotions, is called "Necomimi" - "cat's ears" in Japanese.

With two brain-wave sensors⁴, Necomimi can detect and interpret the emotional state of the wearer, expressing it through four distinct movements.

The ears shoot up when the wearer is nervous or focused but flatten when the person is relaxed.

During a specific activity like a game or reading a book, in which the user may be relaxed and focused at the same time, the ears swirl⁵（盘旋） around in a circular motion. When brain activity is low, they flap gently back and forth⁶.

The science of neuro-control is being developed in labs all over the world as a way to help the disabled or victims of 'locked-in' syndrome⁷（综合症） , where a patient is awake but unable to move or communicate, but Necomimi's creators at a firm called Neuroscience wanted something for all to enjoy.

The cat theme required some tinkering, though.

"For example, when cats are frightened or want to scare away an enemy, they flatten their ears. But with Necomimi, flat ears mean a relaxed state of mind," said Kana Nakano at Neurowave, one of Necomimi's creators.

"We have changed the meaning to suit human perceptions. To humans, it's kind of cute when cat ears are flat. So the most difficult bit was to fine tune⁸ cat ear movements."

In Switzerland, scientists are adapting neurowave technology for wheelchair users, while in Germany, it's being tested as a means for operating a car.

While the cat ears may seem like a trivial（不重要的，琐碎的） approach, the developers say the technology could be adapted as a communication tool for those who may be reclusive（隐居的） or shy around strangers.