Chewable tech provides hands-free control over smartphones and other devices

Spotted: The latest in wearables is one that goes in your mouth. Researchers at the University of Auckland have invented a way for people to answer their phones by biting down on a piece of tech. The ChewIt is a tiny, interactive hands-free device about the size of a piece of candy (not to be confused with Chewits, the candy). It is essentially a custom-made printed circuit board that sits inside a removable silicon case.

Users hold it in their mouth like a piece of gum. You can reuse the device by replacing the old case with a new one. When in use, it feels like a piece of soft caramel. Biting down on it gives people remote control of various devices — perfect for riding a bike and shuffling through a playlist.

The device was created by a team at Auckland Bioengineering Institute’s Augmented Human Lab.

“We wanted to come up with an interface that is easy to use, allows you to interact with today’s technology, and is discreet enough to avoid others from seeing this interaction,” inventor Pablo Gallego told Springwise.

The device is a prototype and the team is working on developing it further. The team is also exploring the possibility of making the device commercially available.