Microsoft Patents Virtual Handshakes, Hugs 87
theodp writes "'It can be tough to stay connected over long distances,' writes GeekWire's Todd Bishop. 'Yes, there's phone calls, texting, Facebook, Twitter, IM, video chatting and everything else. But what if you could give virtual hugs to each other using battery-powered, Internet-enabled pillows?' That — and more — is covered by Microsoft's newly-awarded patent on Force-Feedback Within Telepresence, the idea of using interactive, connected devices to bring physical interactions to long-distance communications. Readers of Ted Nelson's 1975 Computer Lib/Dream Machines can only imagine the interesting possibilities for Skype!"
Re:been done in cyberspace for over a century (Score:3, Informative)
the X for a kiss comes from the middle ages when most people were illiterate. to sign a legal document an illiterate person would make a mark on the paper and kiss it; the mark used was often an X.
Re:Wasn't this on the Big Bang Theory? (Score:4, Informative)
I saw someone demo a similar system at a small art exhibit a while back (Intro.Inter.Tech 2007 [turbulence.org]). There was not (yet) a force-feedback interface tied in, but kissable cubes / 'lips' with embedded cameras and software that superimposed the kissers over a telepresence system. I was there showing an internet-connected vibrators project (which was not a new idea even then), so tying in appropriate methods to transmit force remotely is not exactly a stretch of the imagination.
Prior art (Score:4, Informative)
I'm pretty sure the Japanese have prior art. I remember reading an article awhile back about virtual kissing devices. Both people had robot lip and tongue devices connected via the net. I'm sure that couldn't be as nasty as it sounds.
But in any case, does this mean that Chuck Lorre owes Microsoft license fees? [the-big-bang-theory.com] Or perhaps vice-versa?