Long-distance relationships are difficult because not only is your lover completely removed from your day-to-day life, but you have absolutely zero possibility of tangible physical intimacy. But months without a kiss could finally be a thing of the past – thanks to a bizarre new invention.
Researchers from the Imagineering Lab at City University London think they can solve this problem, by inventing a device that mimics a real kiss using pressure sensors and actuators. It’s purely for regular pecks on the cheek or mouth but unfortunately, no tongue simulation is available.
Created by an engineer in China, the ‘miracle’ device has a moving silicon mouthpiece that lets you kiss your partner remotely.
The Kissenger pairs with a messaging app that lets a user send a kiss, so when one is sent, the Kissenger measures pressure on different parts of the sender’s lips to replicate that exact kiss on the recipient’s Kissenger. The lip part of the device is made of silicon.
Sensors mimic the pressure, movement, and heat of your partner’s lips while even transmitting smooching sounds to make it as realistic as possible.
Scientists have already been working on bringing kissing to the ‘metaverse’ – the virtual shared space that’s accessible via the internet.
‘In my university, I was in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend,’ Jiang Zhongli, one of the inventors, told the Global Times.
‘We only had contact with each other through the phone – that’s where the inspiration of this device originated.’
Because it’s connected to the internet, it works however far away the two people are.
Users insert their smartphone into the top of the device and start ‘recording’ their smooch by kissing the device’s lips.
When they’re finished, they can upload and save their kiss to an accompanying app before it’s sent to the recipient – a bit like sending a WhatsApp message.
This is because it can only pair one sender and one receiver at a time, preventing amorous singletons from making out with several other users. Jiang is now hoping to partner with interested companies that can help him expand and perfect the design.
He claims that 100 devices are already being sold through Taobao every month but hopes to ramp up production and sales.
According to South China Morning Post, one set of lips is priced at 260 yuan (£30 or $38) or 550 yuan (£66 or $80) for a pair on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao.