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A Vest to Hug You

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hey-buddy-hug-you dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "In "New vest offers wearer a portable hug," the Boston Globe reports that engineers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have designed a vest to help people suffering from autism or high anxiety. This inflatable vest has pockets that hold air bladders and is powered by 10 AA batteries. When you push a button, the vest squeezes — or hugs — you. Now the engineers also want to know if their vest is effective — apparently a premiere. So they're testing it with both students and psychatric patients. So far, it's just a prototype, but read more for additional details and a picture of this hugging vest."

10 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Eeeh... by Olix · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Being a nerd, I will admit to being somewhat inexperienced on this subject, but it is my opinion that a hug is about being close to someone and feeling their warmth, not being sqeezed by an air compressor...

    1. Re:Eeeh... by neurostar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sometimes you gotta take the love you can get I guess.

    2. Re:Eeeh... by dptalia · · Score: 4, Funny
      it is my opinion that a hug is about being close to someone and feeling their warmth

      So you're saying they need to add heating elements to their vest? One moment while I fill out a patent....

      --
      Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
    3. Re:Eeeh... by Billosaur · · Score: 5, Insightful

      However, for an autistic individual, sometimes the simple pressure on the skin provides a calming effect, or is a stimulus they require to maintain control. I worked with the autistic and developmentally disabled for 8 years; I had many a client who required some kind of tactile stimulus, either as constant input (self-stimulatory behavior) or for behavioral control (comfort). This is ideal, as it would be a lot less obtrusive than some of the ways we came up with to provide such stimulation.

      --
      GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
    4. Re:Eeeh... by mooingyak · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, that's not too far from one of the existing approaches:

      Hug Box

      --
      William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
    5. Re:Eeeh... by AEther141 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Other way round. Temple Grandin is one of the foremost experts in slaughterhouse design, the first to design a slaughterhouse from a cow's perspective. The hug box is a spin-off from the meat industry where similar devices have been used for years as an aid to cattle handling. Temple noticed the calming effect of enveloping pressure on cattle and tried it for herself. She believes that autistic people can tell us a lot about animal behaviour and vice versa - her success in the field would suggest that she's right.

    6. Re:Eeeh... by smithmc · · Score: 3, Funny

        Sometimes you gotta take the love you can get I guess.

      And if you can't be with the vest you love, honey, love the vest you're with...

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  2. Re:Hugging by Nyago · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Probably, but it's better than nothing. I suffer from severe OCD, often making real hugs more stressful than simply avoiding human contact. This vest sounds like a reasonable stand-in for those times that I need a hug but can't bring myself to actually go through with one.

    --
    Reality is fluffy!
  3. Shorts to Stroke You by Ranger · · Score: 4, Funny

    If they are going to design biomechanical clothing, they might as well design a pair of shorts to massage your lower torso. They would be very popular with slashdotters who still live with their parents:

    Bobby: Calls through closed bathroom door "I need to get another pair of massage shorts this pair is almost worn out."

    Mother: "Why Bobby, that's your third pair of massage shorts this month you've worn out."

    Son: *silence*

    Mother: "Bobby, what are you doing in there." knocks on door "Open this door this instance."

    Bobby: "Go away. I'm brushing my teeth. Yeah, that's it, brushing my teeth."

    --
    "You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
  4. Hugging machines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's the original hug machine the story refers to, if you're interested.
    http://grandin.com/inc/intro-squeeze.html
    Of course, Dr. Grandin also designs slaughterhouses.