Send a hug to loved ones this Christmas
Categories: Technology
Photo courtesy of CuteCircuit, photographer Fernanda Calfat (Getty Images Entertainment).
If you’re feeling lonely in the run-up to Christmas this year, perhaps you should invest in a HugShirt! Invented by wearable technology pioneers CuteCircuit in 2002, the shirt is designed to replicate the feeling of a hug for those far away from their loved ones.
Francesca Rosella, Creative Director of CuteCircuit, says, “Human touch is an important means of communication that can convey all kinds of emotions. The feeling of being hugged releases happiness hormones in our bodies and decreases the levels of stress, so finally with the HugShirt there is a way to send touch over distance”
.The HugShirt contains multiple sensors which detect the strength, duration and location of a hug. The hug is recorded on your mobile phone via Bluetooth and is stored in the memory just like a video. You can then transmit your embrace to another HugShirt wearer anywhere in the world as easily as sending a text!
The rechargeable, washable shirt combines technology with emotion to create a garment which can enhance our experience of connectedness when away from home. There may also be some medical applications for the shirt in the future.
To find out more about the HugShirt, visit the CuteCircuit website.
