Created by a student at the University of Electro-Communications in — where else — Japan, the Sense-Roid is basically a mannequin wearing a special vest that, when coupled with a person who wears another special vest and hugs said mannequin, will stimulate the hugger’s vest and makes the hugger feel like it got hugged back: When the two vests connect, they begin to inflate with air and vibrate in such a way that supposedly feels like a hug.
The Sense-Roid measures the pressure from the initial hug, then mimics said pressure when “returning” the hug, so not only is the Sense-Roid a machine designed to hug people that can’t obtain a hug from another real person, but it hugs people in such a way that simulates people hugging themselves. The Sense-Roid is a prototype, and there are currently no plans to take the machine out of that stage, so fortunately (unfortunately?), people will have to go out and obtain real hugs to curb their loneliness. Head on past the break to check out a weird video of the Sense-Roid.
(via Popular Science)
