|12 April 2017|
USA
Missing a loved one can be tough and despite the prevalence of smartphone options to stay in touch it can sometimes feel like the emotional connection is lost.
It’s an issue that inspired a young female innovator to find a solution. In a long distance relationship and missing her partner, robotics engineer Xyla Foxlin decided to use her skills and develop a product that would make you feel closer regardless of distance.
The outcome was Parihug. Offering hugs from thousands of miles away it is designed to bring human touch back to digital communication.
“It doesn’t matter how quickly we can transmit data over the internet if that data carries no meaning to us as human beings,” Kyla said. “The support we’ve received over the past year has shown that there is a need for consumer electronics that connect us to one another on a deeper level. We look forward to using Kickstarter to bring people together through Parihug.”
Sensors in a stuffed animal detect when they are being hugged and send a message to the other stuffed animal which triggers it to hug the owner “with a gentle vibration— haptic telepresence”.
Created by Always Delightful Films
The Kickstarter is now live.
