Wearable robot lets internet users ‘feel’ physical contact

Internet users will be able to reach out and hug one another thanks to a new wearable robotic device that creates the sensation of physical contact.

The iFeel-IM device, created by Japan-based scientists, simulates sensations such as heart beats, hugging, stomach butterflies and spine tingles among those wearing it.

The robotic creation was among a string of futuristic interactive devices showcased at the first two-day Augmented Human International Conference held in the French ski resort Megeve.

Dzmitry Tsetserukou, an assistant professor at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan, described how his iFeel-IM robotic device was designed to add a human touch to the ethereal world of cyberspace.

“We are steeped in computer-mediated communication – SMS, e-mail, Twitter, Instant Messaging, 3-D virtual worlds – but many people don’t connect emotionally,” he said.

“I am looking to create a deep immersive experience, not just a vibration in your shirt triggered by an SMS. Emotion is what give communication life.”

The result of five years of research, the new device – whose name stands for I Feel Therefore I Am – consists of a complex collection of sensors, motors, vibrators and speakers woven into a series of straps.

Software created by Alena Neviarouskaya, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, decodes emotional messages embedded in written text, triggering the appropriate touch response within the robot.

The device is capable of distinguishing nine emotions including joy, fear, interest, guilt and anger with 90 per accuracy resulting in corresponding physical sensations such as squeezes and increased warmth in the user.

While the technology would have enabled scientists to add a mechanism for sexual desire, the scientists opted against it to avoid distracting from its emotion-based focus.

The device is capable of distinguishing nine emotions including joy, fear, interest, guilt and anger Photo: GETTY IMAGES

In an echo of the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, the new robot was tested during the conference on the three-dimensional environment Second Life, where on-line personas gave and received hugs physically felt by their human controllers.

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