Mandatory Credit: Photo by Melissa Kit Chow / Rex Features (1896783d)
(Pic 4) Hugs can also be sent back to the original sender by squeezing the vest and deflating it
Like-A-Hug: Vest Lets You Hug Friends On Facebook
A vest lets you HUG your friends, family and loved ones on Facebook.
The Like-A-Hug is a wearable social media vest that allows for hugs to be given via the social-networking site.
The vest inflates when friends 'Like' a photo, video, or status update on the wearer's wall, which the inventors say allows us to "feel the warmth, encouragement, support, or love that we feel when we receive hugs".
Melissa Kit Chow, who collaborated with colleagues Andy Payne and Phil Seaton at MIT's (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab, explains: "The project was done as an exercise and exploration in shape display. We came up with the concept over a casual conversation about long-distance relationships and the limitations of video chat interfaces like Skype.
"The concept of telepresence arose, and we toyed with the idea of receiving hugs via wireless technology. The result was Like-A-Hug. Connecting it to Facebook conceptually was simply a way to explore how social media might push past the traditional graphic user interface (GUI)."
WATCH VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/46629037
MUST CREDIT PICTURES BY: Melissa Kit Chow/Rex Features
For more information visit http://www.rexfeatures.com/stacklink/ILBEBBNBD
