A university in China has invented a device that has caused quite a stir on Chinese social media. The ‘kissing device’ is designed to allow long-distance couples to share virtual intimate moments.
According to China’s Global Times, the ‘silicon lips’ device has pressure sensors and actuators and can mimic a real kiss. According to the report, the device can also mimic the pressure, movement, and temperature of a user’s lips.
Various reactions to this device flooded social media. Some users found it amusing, while others found it ‘vulgar and creepy,’ expressing concern that minors could purchase and use it.
“I don’t understand (the device) but I’m utterly shocked,” said one top comment on Weibo.
The users need to download a mobile app and plug the device into the phone’s charging port. After pairing with the partner on the app, they can start a video call and transmit a replica of their kisses to each other.
The inventor Jiang Zhongli, who lives in China, said he was in a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend and could only stay in touch by phone. That’s where the inspiration for the device came from.
In 2016, the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia launched a similar device named ‘Kissinger’, in the form of a touch-sensitive silicon pad, CNN reported.
According to the Global Times report, the device also allows users to pair up with strangers and exchange kisses. The users can also upload their kisses in the app for others to download. The device is priced at 288 yuan ( ₹3,433).
