Siweifushe, a Beijing-based start-up, has created a unique invention that is inspired by the lockdown isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The start-up has invented a long-distance kissing machine that uses motion sensors hidden in silicon lips to transmit kiss data from one user to another.
The device, called MUA – Mouth to Unconditional Affections – replays kisses received by simultaneously moving the silicon lips and capturing and replaying sound. Additionally, the machine warms up slightly during kissing, enhancing the authenticity of the experience.
MUA, which sold over 3,000 units in two weeks after its release, was designed to provide a more intimate experience for users who are separated by distance, especially during prolonged lockdowns. The idea behind the machine was borne out of China’s frequent and severe lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw residents confined to their apartments for months on end.
Users can even download kissing data submitted by other users via an accompanying app, making the experience even more personal and interactive.
Inventor Zhao Jianbo revealed that the inspiration behind his new product, MUA, was his own experience of being separated from his girlfriend during lockdown. Jianbo, who was a student at the Beijing Film Academy at the time, focused his graduate project on the lack of physical intimacy in video calls. He later established Siweifushe, which released MUA – its first product – on January 22, priced at around CNY 260 (roughly 20,000NGN).
As you can see in the above image, the MUA is designed as a mobile stand with a pair of realistic pursed lips protruding from the front. To use it, lovers must download an app onto their smartphones and pair their kissing machines, which are then plugged into the phone charging port. The device is activated using the app, and when users kiss it, it responds by kissing back. The MUA is available in several colours, though it features the same unisex lips.
Jianbo’s product has received mixed reviews from users, with some finding it intriguing, while others reported feeling uncomfortable. One of the top complaints was the lack of tongue. Some users on Weibo, a Social Media platform, have said that the device could be used for online erotic content, which is strictly prohibited in China. Zhao stated that his company abides by regulations, but that “there is little we can do for how people use the device.”
MUA is not the first remote kissing device on the market. In 2011, researchers at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications created a “kiss transmission machine,” and in 2016, Malaysia’s Imagineering Institute created a similar device called the “Kissinger.”
