The Twitter Tooth Implant Becomes a Reality (Again)

Remember the Twitter tooth implant, the handy little (speculative) device that spied on your drinking, eating and smoking habits? The implant made its first debut in real life with a "tattoo" consisting of electrical sensors. Now, a team of Taiwanese researchers have gone beyond surface electronics to create a whole implantable tooth, complete with a tiny accelerometer.

Because everything we do with our mouths, from chatting to chewing, produces a unique motion profile, the team was able to predict what participants' mouths were getting up to with close to 95% accuracy. Future prototypes of the "wearable oral sensory system" will include Bluetooth (no pun intended) to wirelessly transmit data to a cell phone or computer. Just imagine waking up to a chiding letter from your parents when they find out you've been smoking, or a worried note from your doctor if she suspects you're coming down with a cold. Of course, you can always talk to yourself if you want to fake a healthy dose of social interaction.

Read the paper here. Thanks to Jeffry Braun for the tip.  Photo from here.