Monday, September 1, 2008

Improved Communication

Social communication involves showing and understanding emotions with gesture, voice and words, touch and look.
Touching each other is a way to enhance the communication between human. When friends or relatives are staying in different countries, keeping in touch with them on the screens (which can only deliver voice and look) may seem less emotional.
Through a webcam, voice call or chat, people can see or hear each other, however, it is only inside a boundary of computer screen.
Especially, for children with busy parents, they may have contact with parents through phone or internet but they may not pay attention. The child can think what he/she viewing is some kind of show. It would be better if parents and children can touch each other through internet.
To make this dreams come true, we're implementing the Internet Pajama Project which senses and transfer human touch.

On one side, there will be something like a bear to represent the other party and the sensors embedded on it will capture and send the touch to the other side.

On the other side, there will be a jacket which will be made with actuators to simulate the touch on each side of arms and the body.

Each side of the parties will be having one jacket and one bear to communicate with each other.