Chinese graduates invent robotic lips for remote kissing

Record ID: 1717223

  • Title: Chinese graduates invent robotic lips for remote kissing
  • Date: 23rd March 2023
  • Summary: HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (MARCH 13, 2023) (REUTERS) FOUNDER OF REMOTE KISSING DEVICE "LONG LOST TOUCH", ZHAO JIANBO, DEMONSTRATING HOW TO USE THE DEVICE ZHAO WITH HIS COLLEAGUE ZHAO PUTTING REMOTE KISSING DEVICE ON DESK SILICON MIMIC LIPS IN KISSING ACTION ZHAO LOOKING AT THE REMOTE KISSING DEVICE SILICON MIMIC LIPS IN KISSING ACTION (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) FOUNDER OF REMOTE KISSING DEVICE "LONG LOST TOUCH", ZHAO JIANBO, SAYING: "WeChat or mobile phone enables phone calls and messages to be sent. It can communicate information using language. But it may not be able to offer feedback and communication on a sensory level. Technology is already evolving, and people are already able to communicate and make phone calls online. I hope that our device can fulfill what’s going on with getting in ‘touch’ online and make it better." CALLS ON PHONE APPLICATION "LONG LOST TOUCH" RINGING ZHAO'S COLLEAGUE KISSING WITH SILICON MIMIC LIPS VARIOUS OF ZHAO'S COLLEAGUES TRYING ON KISSING DEVICE ZHAO'S COLLEAGUE KISSING WITH SILICON MIMIC LIPS VARIOUS OF ZHAO'S COLLEAGUES TRYING REMOTE KISSING DEVICE ZHAO'S COLLEAGUE TRYING ON KISSING DEVICE ZHAO'S COLLEAGUE PUTTING KISSING DEVICE ON DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) FOUNDER OF REMOTE KISSING DEVICE "LONG LOST TOUCH", ZHAO JIANBO, SAYING: "Through this process, it will inevitably involve dealing with some sensitive topics, and users will use the devices in whichever way they want. So we must do more in supervising the regulation of the application to avoid feedback that could end up negative like pornography for example." BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 12, 2023) (REUTERS) JING ZHIYUAN INSERTING HIS PHONE ON REMOTE KISSING DEVICE JING ZHIYUAN TRYING ON REMOTE KISSING DEVICE JING ZHIYUAN KISSING WITH SILICON MIMIC LIPS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD WORKING IN ADVERTISING INDUSTRY AND REMOTE KISSING DEVICE USER JING ZHIYUAN, SAYING: "I have a girlfriend. My girlfriend is also in Beijing, but she travels a lot. We often don't see each other. I think it can act as a flavoring agent when we can't see other. For example, when things are not great between us, we can even use it as a gadget to mend our relationship." SILICON MIMIC LIPS IN KISSING ACTION JING ZHIYUAN LOOKING AT REMOTE KISSING DEVICE JING ZHIYUAN PUTTING HIS FINGER ON SILICON MIMIC LIPS HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (MARCH 13, 2023) (REUTERS) ZHAO TAKING OFF COVERS FOR SILICON MIMIC LIPS ZHAO WITH HIS COLLEAGUE ZHAO REMOTE KISSING DEVICE ON ZHAO'S HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) FOUNDER OF REMOTE KISSING DEVICE "LONG LOST TOUCH", ZHAO JIANBO, SAYING: "Essentially, people will find space and time again for emotional communication. It is the best. Just like the invention of WeChat or even the telephone, it doesn’t isolate people from one another, it makes people communicate more frequently and at a lower cost too." ZHAO PUTTING REMOTE KISSING DEVICE ON SHELF VARIOUS OF REMOTE KISSING DEVICES ON DISPLAY BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 21, 2023) (REUTERS) CITY SHOPPING DISTRICT LOCAL COUPLE SURNAMED SHEN AND LIU LOOKING AT VIDEO OF KISSING DEVICE NAMED ‘LONG LOST TOUCH’ LIU REACTING TO WATCHING VIDEO CLOSE UP OF VIDEO ON PHONE LIU SMILING AS SHE WATCHES VIDEO ON PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD MODEL AND MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, LIU, SAYING: “I think there is no need for this (device).” (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 26-YEAR-OLD MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, SHEN, SAYING: “I think you may get addicted to it.” (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD MODEL AND MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, LIU, SAYING: “It’s a bit embarrassing, like you can kiss anything but you do not have to kiss this right?” (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 26-YEAR-OLD MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, SHEN, SAYING: “But (the lips on the device) is moving.” (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 25-YEAR-OLD MODEL AND MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, LIU, SAYING: “Other things on it can move as well.” (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 26-YEAR-OLD MEDIA PROFESSIONAL, SHEN, SAYING: “So what else can move?” PASSERS-BY ON ROAD CROSSING NEARBY SHOPPING DISTRICT HUANG, REAL ESTATE WORKER, WITH FRIEND IN SHOPPING DISTRICT HUANG WATCHING KISSING DEVICE VIDEO ON PHONE ALONGSIDE FRIEND HUANG WATCHING VIDEO WITH FRIEND (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 22-YEAR-OLD RESIDENT WORKING IN REAL ESTATE, HUANG, SAYING: "I think it won’t help, and I think it’s really perverted to buy this kind of thing. It cannot solve the problem of long-distance (relationships). Like a daily video call might be (more) helpful." HUANG AND FRIEND WATCHING VIDEO ON PHONE SHOPPERS PASSING BY SHOPPING CENTRE COMMERCIAL STATUES ZHENG, FREELANCE TRANSLATOR, WATCHING VIDEO ON PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 35-YEAR-OLD RESIDENT WORKING IN FREELANCE TRANSLATION, ZHENG, SAYING: "I think it’s not a gimmick, because I’m quite open (to trying different things). I think this kind of toy is very good, and I do not feel perverted because it’s for private use so there is absolutely no problem. If you want to take this thing to the street and tell others about this, that might be slightly perverted. But no problem at all for your personal use." SHOPPING DISTRICT AREA WITH SHOPPERS PASSING BY
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2023 01:02
  • Keywords: remote kissing robotic lips
  • Location: HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Human-Led Quirky,Human-Led Stories
  • Reuters ID: LVA001931922032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Inspired by the isolation couples felt during China's lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Chinese graduates have created a robotic silicon device to allow people to kiss, despite being separated.
    The device, named ‘Long Lost Touch’ in English, was made by Beijing-based company Siweifushe, and it records users' kiss data through motion sensors and sends it to a paired device far away. The machine can warm up slightly as the user kisses, giving it a more authentic touch.
    Zhao Jianbo, the man behind the invention, said he first came up with the idea when he was in a relationship during COVID-19 and he could not see his girlfriend often due to strict and lengthy lockdowns. Then a student at the Beijing Film Academy, he decided to focus his graduate project on solving the lack of physical intimacy in video calls and later set up the company. They released their first product on January 22 this year, priced at around 260 yuan (approx. 38 USD).
    Two weeks after its release, the company had sold over 3,000 kissing machines and received about 20,000 orders, Zhao told Reuters.
    To use the device, users must download an app, pair two kissing machines, and plug the lip-shaped device into the charging port of their smartphone which they use to video call.
    The device, meanwhile, brought both intrigue and absurdity to residents in Beijing.
    "I think it won’t help, and I think it’s really perverted to buy this kind of thing,” local resident surnamed Huang told Reuters after watching a video showing a user get acclimated with the device.
    “It cannot solve the problem of long-distance (relationships). Like a daily video call might be (more) helpful," she added.
    Comments on China's social media Weibo also expressed concerns that the device and its app may spread erotic content online, which is under tight scrutiny in China. The company's founder promised to reinforce regulations but conceded there is little they can do in how people use the device.
    The idea of kissing remotely is not new. Researchers at The University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo invented a "kiss transmission machine" in 2011, and the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia also presented a similar gadget called "Kissinger" in 2016.
    (Production: Josh Arslan, Xihao Jiang, Wang Shubing, Matt Stock)
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