Hooman Samani, an artificial intelligence researcher in Singapore, has developed a kiss-transmission robot messenger that can emulate and transmit a kiss over long distances. It’s called the Kissenger.

About a year ago, I wrote an article about young Japanese student working on an experimental device able to transmit  kisses over long distances. His machine looked pretty awful, and I remember thinking “the concept is interesting but that thing will never go into production”. Hooman Samani’s “Kissenger”,on the other hand, looks a lot more commercial, and could actually prove a hit, especially in some Asian countries where goofy technological breakthroughs are very popular. His new kiss-transmitting device is about the size of a softball, is shaped like a bunny, and features a pair of artificial lips that are highly touch-sensitive. Sound good? Wait till you see how it works.

Naturally, for the whole kiss thing two work, you need two of these Kissenger devices. When you want to kiss your sweetheart, all you have to do is pick up your bunny-shaped robot and give it a nice smooch on those fat silicon lips. At the same time, your partner does the same thing on the other end, and the Kissengers transmit your lip movements from one to the other, thus replicating a real kiss. It doesn’t sound as romantic, I know, but I guess kissing a plastic toy is better than nothing…Or is it? One thing I forgot to mention – each time you plant a wet one on the Kissenger, the receiving device makes a strange noise, like a pig oink. Now if the whole kissing a robot deal didn’t take all the romance out of the experiment, this will.

via Extreme Tech