Finding it hard to keep up the passion in a long-distance relationship? Help might be on the way.
A robotics professor in Singapore has invented a gadget equipped with motion-sensitive electronic “lips” that allow amorous, but absent couples exchange long-distance smooches via the Internet.
Shaped like a small head with oversize silicon lips, the “Kissenger” — short for Kiss Messenger — was unveiled last month at a scientific conference in Britain and is still being refined for commercial launch.
Photo: AFP
“It can be used between humans to improve their communication,” said Hooman Samani, its creator.
Couples just have to connect the devices to computers via USB cables, link up online and start kissing the silicon material to trigger sensors that move the gadget on the other side.
They can stare at each other on screen while exchanging kisses.
“The main issue is to transmit the force and pressure, and also the shape of the lip,” Samani said.
The “special silicon material” chosen for the lips offers “the best sensation and feeling,” said the scientist, who has personally tested the device.
However, the Kissenger is not yet ready for the market despite “a lot of offers” from interested parties because there are “ethical issues” that need to be resolved on top of the technical aspects, he said.
“Kissing is very intimate so in order to have a product in market which is going to deal with this sensitive issue, we have to do proper studies and investigation on the social point of view, cultural point of view,” he said.
The device is still being refined at a laboratory jointly set up by the National University of Singapore and Keio University of Japan.
Samani calls his field of study “lovotics” — research into the relationship between robots and humans — and the Kissenger is just one of several devices being developed by his team.
Twice a day Hong Kong’s virtually deserted airport fills with the sound of tearful goodbyes as residents fearful for their future under China’s increasingly authoritarian rule start a new life overseas, mostly in Britain. London flights tend to leave in the afternoon and late evening, and for a few hours it briefly feels like the COVID-19 pandemic no longer exists as the airport comes to life. Check-in desks fill up with crowds of passengers wheeling as much luggage as their tickets will permit. Accompanied by the loved ones they leave behind, the scenes are emotionally charged and shadowed by a palpable pall of
A man has confessed to defrauding Chinese-Canadian pop singer Kris Wu (吳亦凡) over a teenager’s accusation that he had sex with her when she was drunk, Beijing police said on Thursday. The announcement added a bizarre twist to a scandal that cost Wu endorsement contracts with brands including Porsche and Bulgari. The former member of South Korean boy band EXO has denied the accusation, which drew an outpouring of online support for the woman and criticism of Wu. On Friday, Louis Vuitton became the latest brand to end its contract with Wu. A man who saw rumors about the incident online contacted the woman
Ethiopia’s Afar region on Friday called on civilians to take up arms against rebels from neighboring Tigray, signaling a potential escalation in fighting that has already displaced tens of thousands this week. “Every Afar should protect their land with any means available, whether by guns, sticks or stones,” regional President Awol Arba said in an interview aired by regional state media. “No weapons can make us kneel down. We will win this war with our strong determination.” Tigrayan rebels launched operations in Afar last weekend, saying they were targeting pro-government troops massing along the two regions’ shared border. A government official said on
Buried in a long US indictment accusing China of a global cyberespionage campaign was a curious detail: Among the governments targeted by Chinese hackers was Cambodia, one of Beijing’s most loyal Asian allies. The target of the hack, which two sources with knowledge of the indictment said was the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was also revealing: discussions between China and Cambodia over the use of the Mekong River, a new battleground for US and Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. Four Chinese — three security officials and a contract hacker — have been charged for attacks aimed at dozens
RSS