Long-distance friendships and relationships can be hard at the best of times.But new technology might soon let you hold hands with a loved one from thousands of miles away.
Experts have designed a soft fingertip device that enables the realistic feeling of touch - one of the most complex sensations in the human body.
The bioinspired haptic (BAMH) system works by simulating all four touch receptors in the human finger using vibrations at different speeds and strengths across multiple areas.
The team behind the device said they believe they have the technology to create a glove, which could eventually enable remote social interaction and the feeling of holding a hand.
For example, a person in London would be able to 'hold' the hand of a dying relative in Sydney and for both to feel the sensation of touch in real-time.
Experts also said it could be useful in health settings, as a diagnostic tool for loss-of-touch conditions such as metacarpal tunnel syndrome or even diabetes.
It could even be used in remote healthcare where surgeons can use the device to distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue.
The viability of the technology was published in the journal Nature Communications (Weds), while the team hopes to recruit at least 10 people experiencing loss of sensation for a clinical trial in the next few months.
Dr Sara Abad, from University College London (UCL), said: 'The sense of touch is the least known of all of our senses, and it is because of the complexities.
'Skin is one of the biggest organs that we have in our bodies and provides several types of information, for instance texture and edges.
'It also tells us about the type of stimulus we are receiving, for example a constant stable stimulus or a vibration.
'One area where the device can be used is in social applications - for instance, with globalization, it's very likely that you have family that is not living in the same town as you.
'Unfortunately, with video calls, there is a barrier.For social bonding, which is important, you need touch, but video calls don't provide that.
'The resulting technology offers a way of incorporating touch into our virtual social interactions and can also act as a diagnostic tool for touch perception for patients who experience sensitivity loss.'
The team presented their technology at the British Science Festival held at the University of East London.
Professor Helge Wurdemann, who also worked on the device, added: 'We believe we have the technology here that would enable us to design a glove.'We're looking into combining multiple fingers.'
