New Technology Puts 'Touch' Into Long-Distance Relationships

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Just in time for Valentine's Day, researchers have unveiled technology to put "touch" into long-distance relationships.

Researchers at Simon Fraser University say couples can now share a walk, watch movies together, even give each other a massage using the new technology.
It's called Flex-N-Feel.

They're interconnected gloves and when one person flexes their glove, the person on the other end feels it.

To capture the flex actions, researchers say the sensors are attached to a microcontroller.

The sensors provide a value for each bend, and are transmitted to the glove using WiFi.

The sensors are also placed strategically on the palm side of the fingers in order to feel touch.

"Users can make intimate gestures such as touching the face, holding hands, and giving a hug," says SFU associate professor Carman Neustaedter. "The act of bending or flexing one's finger is a gentle and subtle way to mimic touch."

The gloves are currently a prototype and researchers say they will continue testing them.