It could be the perfect solution for those whose home lives are in tatters thanks to long commutes and longer office hours: A gadget that lets you pat the dog, squeeze your partner and hug the children, without the inconvenience of having to be there.
The invention was developed by researchers who believe the pace of modern life has dramatically cut the time we spend showing affection to family members, including pets. Simply slip your significant others into specially designed jackets and you will be able to pat, stroke or hug them from anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection.
Unveiled
The jacket was revealed yesterday at the CHI2006 technology conference in Montreal, an international gathering of experts working to push the boundaries of computer and Internet-enabled devices. It comes with a doll which, when touched, records the exact sensation and beams it wirelessly to the Internet and on to the jacket, which moves to mirror the feeling.
Adrian Cheok, of the mixed reality lab at the National University of Singapore, said: "You can be in meetings all day unable to talk to your partner if they call because everyone will overhear you. But if you both had this system on, you could give each other a little hug to say, `I know you're busy, but I'm thinking of you.'"
Trials were conducted with bespoke jackets tailored for chickens, a common household pet in Asia.
The chickens were dressed in jackets and allowed to roam between two hutches, one of which let them pick up signals making them feel as if they were being stroked. In 200 trials over 28 days, the chickens picked the Internet-linked hutch 72 percent of the time.
`Internet pyjamas'
By the end of the year, the researchers plan to release a jacket for babies. The "Internet pyjamas" will allow them to feel a realistic hugging sensation.
Further trials on pets are proceeding cautiously, as some animals appear to be more amenable than others.
"Chickens like any kind of contact, but with dogs, we are trying to develop ways for them to see and hear their owner, as well as have the sensation of being stroked. For cats, it's a different story. They don't seem to like being touched at all," said Cheok.
Paula Hall, a relationship counselor, said it might not only be pets unconvinced by the idea: "Affection-starved partners might be left wanting a little more. Hugs and physical contact are essential for relationships, but where is the intimacy, the eye contact? And if you lent your jacket to someone else, would your partner be having an affair?"
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
New Taipei City prosecutors yesterday indicted nine entertainers over their alleged connection to a fraud ring that produces falsified documents to help people evade military service, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and show host William Liao (廖威廉). Twenty-eight people were charged with contravening the Punishment for Violation of Military Service System Act (妨害兵役治罪條例) and Article 214 of the Criminal Code for “causing a public official to make a false entry in a public document.” Prosecutors alleged the fraud ring was ran by a man, Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), and his three assistants, and that they were paid to help people dodge compulsory
RSS