2020 update: another report of a virtual-touch haptic device that could someday enhance ASMR videos (Summary; Research Article).
Initial 2017 post: Video ASMR artists can directly stimulate ASMR in viewers with gentle sounds, soft voices, and comforting visuals.
But they have been unable to directly stimulate the sensation of touch through a video. And touch may be the strongest trigger of ASMR.
Could there be a way to feel the touch of someone who is in another room or even in another country?
Yes.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have designed gloves called Flex-N-Feel to be worn by individuals at separate locations. When one person Flexes their fingers in the gloves, the other person Feels the touch via vibrotactile sensations on their skin.
