Can
a machine replace a kiss? Chinese start-up’s new invention raises eyebrows and
excitement
Extract :
Howard Wolowitz, one of
the main characters from The Big Bang Theory, was depicted in the sitcom as having successfully invented a
device that could simulate the feeling of being kissed by someone else.
Now it turns out that a
Chinese start-up has translated the idea of the character – who was always
hungry for physical affection from the opposite sex – into real life.
Meet MUA, the long-distance kissing machine that has taken the tech world by storm and was inspired by the
isolation and lack of physical intimacy experienced by many during lockdowns
in China.
Developed by
Beijing-based Siweifushe, MUA uses motion sensors hidden in silicon lips to
collect “kiss data” from a user, which is then transmitted
to the device of a receiver, allowing the person to
experience the sensation of being kissed in real time.
Named after the sound
people commonly make when blowing a kiss, MUA is more than just a simple
transmission device. It also captures and replays sound and warms up slightly
during kissing, making the experience more authentic.
As authorities forbade
residents from leaving their apartments for months on end, Siweifushe founder
Zhao Jianbo found himself unable to meet his girlfriend in person, sparking the
inspiration for the MUA.
“I was in a relationship
back then, but I couldn’t meet my girlfriend due to lockdowns,” said inventor
Zhao Jianbo.
Mr Zhao was then a
student at the Beijing Film Academy and was focusing his graduate project on
the lack of physical intimacy in video calls. His research led him to establish Siweifushe, that counts MUA
as its first product, on 22 January.
Priced
at around 260 yuan (£30),
the device became an instant sensation, selling over 3,000 units and receiving
about 20,000 orders just two weeks after its launch.
The MUA resembles a
mobile stand with realistic pursed lips protruding
from the front. A user will have to download an app onto their smartphone
and pair the kissing machine which has to be plugged
onto the phone’s charging port.
The user must activate the device using the app and,
when they kiss the contraption, it kisses back.
The device is available
in several colours though with the same unisex lips. While some users found the
device intriguing, others were left feeling uncomfortable, with many citing its
lack of tongue as a top complaint.
As with any new
technology, concerns have arisen about potential misuse, especially regarding online erotic content, which is strictly
regulated in China
Mr Zhao said his company
complies with regulations, but “there’s little we can do as for how people use
the device”.
Although MUA is not the first device of its kind, it represents the increasing number of innovations trying to bridge the physical gap in human
relationships as our world becomes increasingly interconnected yet
distant.
The Japanese “kiss transmission machine”, invented by
researchers at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications in 2011, was an
early attempt at long-distance intimacy. Malaysia’s Imagineering Institute followed suit with the “Kissinger” in 2016.
While
the concept of a kissing machine did not seem out of place as a gag in a
sitcom, some have been left wondering if such devices can truly replace human
touch and alter the definition of long-distance relationships.
MY TAKE :
Ø As
Envisaged : Merging – Morphing – Melding of Senses 29 April 2022
Extract :
Context :
You can now KISS in the metaverse:
New virtual reality headset sends life-like sensations to your lips, teeth and
TONGUE / Daily
Mail / 29 April 2022
Extract :
Now scientists
in Pennsylvania have revealed a steamy new
technology that makes it possible to 'kiss'
someone in the
meta-verse by sending life-like sensations to your lips, teeth
and tongue.
The scientists have modified a virtual
reality (VR) headset by fitting it with haptic technology, meaning it simulates touch by applying
forces, vibrations and motions.
It uses a thin array of transducers
integrated into the underside of the VR headset that direct ultrasound energy
at different parts of the mouth.
As well as kissing sensations, the tech could be
used to drink from a
virtual water fountain or take a puff from
a cigarette.
The prototype headset, which is an
adapted Oculus Quest 2, has been developed by researchers
at Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Importantly, the modified headset
doesn't require any equipment to be put up against or into a user's mouth;
instead, the components are rested above the nose.
According to the team, the mouth has
been largely overlooked as a haptic target in VR and augmented reality (AR),
despite being second in terms of sensitivity behind the fingertips.
Usually, haptic feedback applies
vibrations to a person's hands via controllers, often in video games to match
the gameplay (such as feeling a vibration in FIFA when a football strikes the
post).
'Proximity of the mouth to the headset
offers a significant opportunity to enable on- and in-mouth haptic effects, without needing to run wires or wear
an extra accessory,' the researchers say.
'We developed a thin, compact, beam
forming array of ultrasonic transducers, which can render haptic effects onto the mouth.
MY TAKE :
Ø 2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?..................... [ 07 July 2017 ]
Extract :
And it is happening
faster than you think !
“ SOUND WAVES “ ( Audio
) :
These got captured /
encapsulated and got broadcast / narrow-cast , all over the
World to anyone of
your choice , using landlines / mobile phones , in a matter of
seconds
“ LIGHT WAVES “ ( Video
) :
These too got
captured and transmitted to anyone , anywhere in the World , as
your Selfie Photo /
Video , using a lowly smart phone – and again , in matter of
seconds
And only yesterday ,
digital camera maker RED, announced
that it’s building the
Hydrogen One, and
they’re calling it the world’s first “holographic” phone. It is
expected to have a
retina-display screen that can switch from 2D content to
holographic
multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games – without
needing special
glasses !
I suppose , that
would enable you to conduct “ Holographic Conferences “ from
your living room or
office !
Let us not forget
that , ISPs / MSPs and other SERVICE PROVIDERS , are already
storing all of your
CONVERSATIONS and your LIFE EVENTS , when you use a
Mobile Phone !
“ TOUCH WAVES “ ( Feel
the SKIN ) :
Hepatic devices are
already enabling you to feel the skins of friends ( or patients
) , from thousands
of miles away
“ SMELL – TASTE “
WAVES :
With arrival of
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality , day is not far when , sitting in
your sofa , you can
smell / taste that pizza , from across the World
But Japanese firm
FutureLeap says : this is nothing !
It claims it has
just the thing for the in-the-mood couch potatoes with a Virtual
Reality System so
realistic you’d swear that cyber date just whispered sweet
nothings in your ear
!
“ BRAIN WAVES “ ( EEG )
:
Scientists are
attaching a few sensors to your head, capturing your Brain Waves ,
and accurately
interpreting these as “ Specific Thoughts / Sentiments “
!
It is only a matter
of time before the bulky wired headset gets replaced by a
mobile or a wrist
band , capable of capturing your “ BRAIN WAVES “ and (
without your
explicit permission ) , transmitting any of your thoughts which it
considers “ EVIL “
to a CENTRAL SERVER of the ESTABLISHMENT !
And it will do this
SURVEILLANCE , 24*7 ! – even when you are asleep !
Those who managed to
escape the “ 1984 “ of George Orwell , were lucky
Those who will be
around when 2024 arrives , may not be so lucky !
Ø Nostradamus could have said ?................... [ 08
Nov 2018 ]
Extract :
In twenty hundred and twenty four
A Sea of Waves will roar,
Light will follow sound :
And , in Smell and Taste
Earth will abound ,
Brain will hide no more
Your secrets gore !
Question :
Can we assume that “ Privacy is dead “
, given that ,
OUTDOOR
* Governments
around the World are installing millions of CCTV cameras at
every nook
and corner , to protect its citizens against terrorism
INDOOR
· * Each and every
Internet of Things [ IoT ] connected device ( ALEXA / Google
Home do not even remotely resemble a camera ) , would capture
our videos
24*7 , and
transmit it to the servers of Device Manufacturers / Owners of
Operating
Systems / App Developers / Service Providers ( ISPs / MSPs )
How much protection would our proposed
DATA PROTECTION LAW provide us ?
Those needing
some proof , may want to look up :
Big Brother is watching us ! And how
! [ 09 Feb 2018 ]
With Regards,
Hemen Parekh
www.hemenparekh.ai / 05
April 2023