Transmitting Touch Over Internet

The mind boggles at the potential applications of this technology.

From Silicon.com:

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 The Straits Times.

The next step would be to use the same concept to transmit hugs over the internet, the researchers said.

The researchers are thinking of some sort of pajamas which would be controlled by the Internet to adjust pressure and temperature and simulate the feeling of being hugged. Of course, since the technology has only been tested on chickens, some people wonder how the scientists conluded that the sensations feel like hugs. After all, chickens are usually not seen hugging and discussing the feeling with humans.

Presumably, there's a market for people who want to hug their chickens and children via the Internet. I'm interested in seeing what develops.