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... And Now Cyber Hugging
Techtree News Staff, Nov 29, 2005 1255 hrs ISTPeople will be able to touch their children across cyberspace with an innovation that seeks to transmit sensation via the Internet.
Feel like a hug when you are miles away from home... don't fret... James Teh, interaction and entertainment research centre, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, has developed a "hug suit" of sorts for poultry, and intends to extend it to humans... soon...
According to Teh, people will soon be able to touch their pets or children across cyberspace with his innovation, that seeks to transmit sensation via the Internet.
"Poultry Internet" is Teh's immediate focus, especially since he feels strongly about chickens, saying that though they are badly treated they make highly intelligent pets.
The "Hug" technology involves the pet fowl wearing a wireless, sensor-rigged "jacket", moving inside its coop in the "home" set-up, and being tracked by a video camera.
The information is transmitted via the internet to the "office" set-up, wherein a 3D model of the pet moves exactly like its live counterpart.
When the owner touches this model, the instructions are translated into data and reproduced as a series of vibrations, on the jacket worn by the hen.
Teh said that the system which is being tested, will give the chicken the feeling of being touched by its owner. Teh has been working on this project for 2 years, along with center director - Adrian David Cheok and center manager - Lee Shang Ping.
Of course with the recent alarm raised over the possibility of an "avian flu" pandemic spreading across large parts of South East Asia, one wonders as to why anyone would want to touch a chicken... whether actually or virtually...
However Teh's "Poultry Internet" technology promises to be just a fore-runner to the real thing i.e. "human-to-human virtual hugging".
Teh plans for children to wear wireless, sensor-rigged "pyjama suits", similar to the chicken "jackets". Each suit will receive signals via the internet, and interpret the data to adjust to changes in pressure and temperature. In effect, children will actually get a "hug" from their parents and vice-versa, if parents wear these suits as well.
Cheok expressed the view that there will be a huge demand for these suits, especially with parents going out frequently on business, and hugging and touching being considered inseparable parts of communication.
According to Teh, people will soon be able to touch their pets or children across cyberspace with his innovation, that seeks to transmit sensation via the Internet.
"Poultry Internet" is Teh's immediate focus, especially since he feels strongly about chickens, saying that though they are badly treated they make highly intelligent pets.
The "Hug" technology involves the pet fowl wearing a wireless, sensor-rigged "jacket", moving inside its coop in the "home" set-up, and being tracked by a video camera.
The information is transmitted via the internet to the "office" set-up, wherein a 3D model of the pet moves exactly like its live counterpart.
When the owner touches this model, the instructions are translated into data and reproduced as a series of vibrations, on the jacket worn by the hen.
Teh said that the system which is being tested, will give the chicken the feeling of being touched by its owner. Teh has been working on this project for 2 years, along with center director - Adrian David Cheok and center manager - Lee Shang Ping.
Of course with the recent alarm raised over the possibility of an "avian flu" pandemic spreading across large parts of South East Asia, one wonders as to why anyone would want to touch a chicken... whether actually or virtually...
However Teh's "Poultry Internet" technology promises to be just a fore-runner to the real thing i.e. "human-to-human virtual hugging".
Teh plans for children to wear wireless, sensor-rigged "pyjama suits", similar to the chicken "jackets". Each suit will receive signals via the internet, and interpret the data to adjust to changes in pressure and temperature. In effect, children will actually get a "hug" from their parents and vice-versa, if parents wear these suits as well.
Cheok expressed the view that there will be a huge demand for these suits, especially with parents going out frequently on business, and hugging and touching being considered inseparable parts of communication.
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Regan
,TORONTO, on Nov 07, 2006 10:57 PM
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I.R.CU_NT
,Stonerville, on Jun 08, 2006 06:17 PM
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,Everyone, on Jun 08, 2006 06:40 PM
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,Columbus, on Nov 30, 2005 12:25 AM
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,Boston, on Nov 30, 2005 11:07 AM
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,Austin, TX, on Nov 30, 2005 02:47 AM
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