Missing friends who live states away? Or just need a little family comfort after a long day? How about a virtual hug?
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a vest that lets Facebook users hug each other, from any distance.
The fashionable technology, dubbed Like-A-Hug vest, is being touted as "wearable social media" – it inflates to embrace wearers whenever Facebook friends "Like" items they post on the network, according to the website of designer Melissa Chow.
She worked with Andy Payne and Phil Seaton at the MIT Media Lab to build the puffy black vests, which, according to Chow's website, allows the wearer to "feel the warmth, encouragement, support, or love that we feel when we receive hugs."
You can return the favor simply by squeezing the vest and deflating it, therefore sending a hug right back to the original sender.
As Digital Trends pointed out, Chow's blow-up vest is not the first product to integrate technology with artificial contact. In April, robot enthusiast Hiroshi Ishiguro unveiled a body pillow designed to add physical sensation to phone calls.
The Hugvie user slips their smartphone into a pocket on the pillow, allowing vibrators inside of the padding to simulate a heartbeat, DT said, based on the tone and volume of the person on the other end of the line.
A month later, a Brazillian fashion retailer added a digital Facebook "Like" counter to wooden hangers, aiming to display the amount of Likes each item received via photos on the store's Facebook brand page.
Chow provided no pricing or ordering details for the Like-A-Hug vest, so don't expect to see people blowing up all over town just yet.
For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag.
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