Researchers have created a trackpad that fits on your thumbnail

This isn’t a stick-on nail decoration:

It’s a tiny trackpad. As in, the kind you have on your laptop instead of a mouse. It’s called NailO, and it’s been developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an easy way to “let users control wireless devices when their hands are full — answering the phone while cooking, for instance.”

Here’s a video of it in action:

MIT graduate student Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, who worked on the paper announcing the invention, said the idea came from nail stickers: “It’s a cosmetic product, popular in Asian countries. When I came here, I was looking for them, but I couldn’t find them, so I’d have my family mail them to me.”

MIT also comment that NailO could be useful for switching between text and symbol sets (and emoji!) while typing. “Finally, it could enable subtle communication in circumstances that require it, such as sending a quick text to a child while attending an important meeting.”

We think NailO is an exciting development in the world of wearables – and with 10 nails to choose from, who knows what our manicures may one day be able to do?