A Step Closer to Using Robotic Technology to Convey Emotions
Wearable technology has found new uses.
(Adobe image - licensed to Mike Lee)
When Robots eventually become everyday devices, not only will sensor technology and pre-programmed algorithms likely enable the machines to simulate human behavior, they will also likely be able to create spur of the moment ‘live behavior,’ controlled remotely by loved ones; or, more alarmingly, by hackers and others who want to exploit you.
But I begin today’s installment in the story of emerging robotics with good news about tech help for deaf football (soccer) fans.
‘SOUND SHIRTS’ - A NEW WAY TO HEAR AND FEEL THE EXCITEMENT OF A PUBLIC EVENT. (Plus a very personal use of the technology at the bottom of this story).
Newcastle United (UK football) are introducing ‘electronic garments’ which will enable deaf fans to “feel’ the noise of match for the first time.
The shirts, which look like a normal replica jersey, turn sound into touch using special sensors and motors - known as haptic technology - and will be used at a football match for the first time when Newcastle host Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday. (13 April 2024.)
"When you're wearing the shirt, it's a bit like you're wearing the stadium," said Ryan Genz, co-founder of Cute Circuit, the company behind the technology. (Source -BBC Link)
The technology works this way: microphones are embedded in the garment. The sound from the mics is transmitted to tiny motors in the garment which vibrate and light up. The garment is by CuteCircuit, which specializes in wearable technology. The most common types of wearable technology are smart-phones and smart-glasses. Wearable technology is also an increasingly important option in medical treatments and rehab.
The ‘sound shirt’ technology has also been used at music concerts (see video below)
Reporter’s Note: I have no idea whether those vibrations in the ‘sound shirt’ feel like music. The video above is a commercial production. It would be useful to see some third party expert analysis, especially among deaf people who can explain how, or if, vibrations enable them to understand musical notes..
While virtual reality (VR) was originally developed for gaming, it also can be used for rehabilitation. Virtual reality headsets are given to patients and the patients instructed to complete a series of tasks, but in a game format. This has significant benefits compared to traditional therapies. For one, it is more controllable; the operator can change their environment to anything they desire including areas that may help them conquer their fear, like in the case of PTSD. Another benefit is the price. On average, traditional therapies are several hundred dollars per hour, whereas VR headsets are only several hundred dollars and can be used whenever desired. In patients with neurological disorders like Parkinson's, therapy in game format where multiple different skills can be utilized at the same time, thus simultaneously stimulating several different parts of the brain.[39] VR's usage in physical therapy is still limited as there is insufficient research. (Wiki Link)
NOW…HERE IS THE MORE PERSONAL USE I MENTIONED AT THE TOP
Here is another interesting application of wearable tech. CuteCircuit invented its ‘Hug Shirt’ in 2002.
The Hug Shirt® is a shirt that lets you send hugs over distance! Embedded in the Hug Shirt® there are actuators that recreate the sensation of touch and the emotion of a hug to the Hug Shirt® of a distant loved one. (CuteCircuit Link)
So, let’s say you are on the phone to a far-away love one and want to send her or him a hug. Instead of a couple of xx’s on the phone, you activate a button on your phone app, and the garment they are wearing starts to give them a ‘hug.’
The Hug Shirt® connects wirelessly to your phone thanks to the HugShirt® App and records a hug like you would record a movie, it then delivers the hug data over the network to your friend’s phone and it is immediately transmitted wirelessly to their Hug Shirt®! You can also hug your friends in real-time all over the world, if you all have the HugShirt® App open at the same time, even multiple friends at the same time! (Source - CuteCircuit)
I think I know what that might entail, but I wanted to get a second opinion. So I asked my ChatGPT, and it says:
“Yes, the Hug Shirt by CuteCircuit does indeed have vibrating features. It's designed to simulate the sensation of a hug by using sensors to detect the strength, duration, and location of a hug, and then transmitting that data to the shirt's embedded actuators, which produce gentle vibrations corresponding to the hug's intensity. It's a fascinating application of wearable technology aimed at enhancing emotional connections over distances.” (Source - ChatGPT). (Note: As with any ChatGPT reply, you can’t be sure which original sources are being used.)
So, today it is sound shirts and hug shirts. Sort of wacky. I’m sure you are already wondering what other sorts of wearables will be developed to convey sensations online.
I have no particular interest nor financial stake in CuteCircuit. I’m sure that lots of companies are involved in wearable tech.
Pardon the pun, but we have only scratched the surface of this sort of technology. There is talk of wearable tech being embedded into tattoos, as well as under the skin and inside the body. Heart pacemakers are put under the skin. Various other sorts of medical devices are being implanted.
There is something about a ‘hug shirt’ that makes me wonder where we are heading with technology that allows one person to actually control what another person sees, hears or senses from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Yes, you can always take a hug shirt off. But what happens when people start wearing or implanting devices meant for a known purpose, yet potentially hackable and subject to other uses and abuses? Society and politicians are already behind the curve in figuring out how to control Artificial Intelligence. Wearable tech is another locomotive coming down the track. How can we keep it working for, not against, us?
By sharing, you can help me reach other potential followers among smart and curious folk. Thanks,
Mike