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Singapore scientists embrace plan for cyberhugs
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-28 15:45
Singapore scientists looking for ways to transmit the sense of touch over the
Internet have devised a vibration jacket for chickens and are thinking about
electronic children's pyjamas for cyberspace hugs.
A wireless jacket for chickens or other pets can be controlled with a
computer and gives the animal the feeling of being touched by its owner,
researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told Monday's edition of
The Straits Times.
The next step would be to use the same concept to transmit hugs over the
Internet, it said.
"These days, parents go on a lot of business trips, but with children,
hugging and touching are very important," the paper quoted NTU Associate
Professor Adrian David Cheok as saying.
NTU is thinking of a pyjama suit for children, which would use the Internet
to adjust changes in pressure and temperature to simulate the feeling of being
hugged. Parents wearing a similar suit could be "hugged" back by their children,
the paper said
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