The Mixed Reality Lab at the National University of Singapore has come up with a weird telepresence rig which allows you to touch chickens over the Internet. The user strokes a chicken (no jokes, please) doll in the lab and embedded touch sensors translate and send the touch location information over the Net to a live chicken wearing a “lightweight jacket” outfitted with small vibrating motors.
The researchers say the technology could be used for things like allowing kids with severe allegeries to pet animals at a distance. C’mon people, we know what this sort of technology is REALLY going to used for. [NOW it’s time for the chicken-choking jokes!]
[Via Wired News]