Long-distance couples who yearn for intimate moments need not fret anymore as a university in China's Chanzhou has invented a remote kissing device to cater to the needs of distressed lovers. According to a report by Global Times, the 'kissing device' is equipped with a mouth-shaped module that serves as an inducing area for lovers to make a kiss and then transfer the kiss gesture and force to the "mouth" on the other side.

The device, with 'silicon lips,' has pressure sensors and actuators that can simulate a genuine kiss, replicating the pressure, movement, and temperature of the user's lips. The contraption links to a phone via Bluetooth and an app and can work by merely plugging the phone into the device.

Long-distance couples or those living in different places can use the device to feel the kiss of their partners. It also enables people with oral diseases to kiss, and along with the kissing motion, it can transmit the sound the user makes. To send a kiss, users need to download a mobile phone app and plug the device into their phone's charging port. After pairing with their partners in the app, couples can start a video call and transmit replicas of their smooches to each other.

While the remote kissing device is intended for long-distance relationships, it also allows users to pair up anonymously with strangers in the "kissing square" function of the app. If two strangers match successfully and like each other, they can ask to exchange kisses. Users can also upload their smooches in the app for others to download and experience.

The Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology has patented the invention, and Jiang Zhongli, the leading inventor of the design, said the device's inspiration came from his own long-distance relationship. “In my university, I was in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend so we only had contact with each other through the phone. That’s where the inspiration of this device originated,” Jiang Zhongli, the leading inventor of the design, was cited as saying by the Global Times.

Social media was awash with varied reactions to the device, with some users calling it funny while others dubbing it 'vulgar and creepy,' expressing concerns that minors could buy and use it. On Taobao, China’s biggest online shopping site, dozens of users have shared their reviews of the device, which costs 288 yuan (US$41). One user commented, “My partner didn’t believe (remote) kissing could be achieved at first so his jaw dropped when he used it… This is the best surprise I’ve given him.” 

A similar invention, “Kissinger”, was launched in 2016 by the Imagineering Institute in Malaysia. But it came in the form of touch-sensitive silicone pads instead of realistic-looking lips.