The solution to long-distance relationships? A virtual kissing machine

A group of university students in China has created a remote kissing device for people in long-distance relationships. The 3D silicone gadget has a mouth-shaped module triggered through a kiss, which is then transferred to the other user. The device mimics the movement, temperature, and pressure of the kiss using sensors and links to phones via Bluetooth and an application. The invention has been patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology. A function in the app allows users to pair up anonymously with strangers in the “kissing square”, while in 2016, “Kissenger”, a sensory-stimulating technology that mimicked a real kiss, was created through a touchpad.

The lead inventor of the device, Jiang Zhongli, said he was inspired to create it because of his long-distance relationship with his girlfriend. However, the new invention has been met with criticism on social media, with some finding the gadget “weird” and others saying it shows that long-distance relationships are a bad idea. The device has a mouth-shaped module triggered through a kiss, which is transferred to the other user and mimics the movement, temperature, and pressure of the kiss using sensors, linking to phones via Bluetooth and an accompanying app.

An app function lets users pair up anonymously with strangers, which has led some to question how impersonal the kiss transmitted really is. A similar product, “Kissenger”, was created in 2016 by the Gadget Show in the UK, which was a sensory-stimulating technology attached to the phone, simulating a real kiss through a touchpad. Regardless of how the device is viewed, love has continually driven technological innovation. Innovations have ranged from button-mashing chatbots, social networks, and virtual reality dates to dating apps and sophisticated love AI. Love has induced innovation simply because technology has allowed it, and devices like this reflect advancements in this area.

The remote kissing device has been created to enable people in long-distance relationships to share intimate moments. The device is a 3D silicone gadget with a mouth-shaped module triggered through a kiss, which is then sent to the recipient. It mimics the movement, temperature and pressure of the kiss using sensors and links to phones via Bluetooth and an application. However, the new invention has been viewed with mixed emotions. Some find the gadget “weird” and impersonal, while others view it as evidence that long-distance relationships are a bad idea. Regardless of how the device is viewed, love has inspired technological advancement from simple chatbots to virtual reality dates and love AI. The remote kissing device reflects technical innovation in this area.

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