Maybe you can hug your kids in cyberspace

From Reuters:

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - 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 Monday's edition of The Straits Times.

Somehow I don't think is going to work yet. Our eyes see an image of a dog, and when asked what it is, we say it's a dog, but we're never fooled for more than a moment that an image is... Hang on a minute. "Chickens or other pets"? Who keeps a chicken as a pet? Besides, none of the chickens I have known have been notably fond of being hugged. NTU, if you're listening, this idea—or at least the PR for it—needs a little more work.

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