Students in the US have designed a jacket that gives the owner a cuddle every time they get a ‘like’ on Facebook.
The ‘Like-A-Hug’ jacket inflates when someone clicks on a Like button on their Facebook profile, putting a little more reality into virtual reality.
The contraption was designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students Melissa Chow, Andy Payne and Phil Seaton.
Hugs can also be sent back to the original sender by squeezing the vest and deflating it.
Commenting on the jacket’s inception, Chow said: “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 jacket can also automatically inflate to hug the wearer when a like is received via a mobile phone.
The jacket works by inflating air pockets inside the jacket when the wearer’s mobile phone sends a signal a page has been liked.
Watch the promo video explaining how the jacket works here:
like a hug HR 1 2 from Melissa Chow on Vimeo.