An MIT Alumni Association Publication

Soft Love...with Relational Pillows

  • Nancy DuVergne Smith
  • slice.mit.edu
  • 1

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Missing the one you love? Maybe the Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces Group can help.

The pillow that smiles back.
The pillow responds.

Their Relational Pillow project has created a cushy pillow with extraordinary assets—the ability to sense touch remotely then display that information as a pattern of lights on your pillow. Send a smile, a kiss, or anything you can draw with a finger on your pillow to your loved one who is far away but connected to the network.

Associate Professor Patti Maes, whose group also developed the amazing Sixth Sense, and grad student Sajid Sadi SM ’06 are driving this project: "With the Relational Pillow project, we are trying to provide a simple, intimate, and personable communication medium between loved ones."

Check out the innards:

How the relational pillow works.
How the relational pillow works. Photos: Fluid Interfaces Group

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Comments

Simon Eder

Thu, 10/01/2009 12:21am

That is a great concept, Is it possible to get a look at your partners pillow before they wake up to find out if they are grumpy, happy, loving or not. That way you can pre pre-warned