Socks pause Netflix when the wearer falls asleep

Netflix Socks are homemade high-tech wearables that send a signal to the viewer's TV, which will pause Netflix when they doze off.

For anyone who has ever woken up to find that they have dozed through the finale of their favorite television show, Netflix has found a solution. The subscription TV network recently launched Netflix Socks — the knitted wearables with designs that celebrate the various Netflix Originals series. The socks can be embedded with homemade tech that sends a signal to their TV to pause Netflix when the wearer dozes off.

To begin, fans of shows such as Grace and Frankie or Bojack Horseman can download sock patterns for each show. Alternatively they can choose a pair of store bought socks. Next, the user follows a set of instructions to build the sleep detector electronics. The system requires materials including an LED indicator light, an accelerometer, a battery, a momentary button and an arduino microcontroller. There is a schematic online for reference and a tutorial for beginners. Finally, users can download the programming code for sleep detection and embed their electronics into their socks. Once completed the socks work by recognizing a lack of movement, which will cause the LED light to flash red — if the wearer moves, the sock knows that they are still awake, if not, it sends a signal to the TV to pause Netflix.

There are guidelines available every step of the way, but the complexity of the project is likely to put off many consumers. Could a similar product be sold ready-made to viewers?