Perhaps the sweetest new item at CES was Parihug, an internet-connected stuffed animal that gives an actual hug from far away. About a year in the works, Parihug sends virtual hugs thanks to fabric-based sensors. When one of the bears is hugged, she sensors recognize it and transmit it as a WiFi message to the other bear that then vibrates in real time, giving the end user the feeling of a genuine hug. If both bears are hugged at the same time, the bears emit a heartbeat. The company's founder, a junior at Case Western Reserve, is working on an accompanying app that will allow traveling parents to send hugs via their phones so they don't have to pull out a stuffed animal in the middle of a work dinner. Parihug plans to set up a Kickstarter campaign this Summer, with bears, selling for $75, first shipping in Q1 2018.
