A Japanese company has created a smartphone case to help parents prevent their children from becoming addicted to their mobile devices.

The case, which can only be removed with a specific screwdriver, allows parents to set time restrictions on their child’s smartphone usage via an accompanying app.

Motion detectors built into the case – called OTOMOS - also deactivate the phone automatically when the child is walking, to prevent them from checking the devices while on the move.

The case, created by Momo Ltd, a Japanese venture firm based in Kobe city in west Japan, can also send automatic messages directly to parents’ phones if it senses a significant physical shock, such as an accident.