The video: Pucker up, people. An interactive poster created by researcher Keidai Ogawa at Japan's Keio University does more than stare back at you — the woman onscreen romantically leans in for a kiss when you approach. Ogawa's technology uses ultrasound sensors to detect the distance between a subject and the digital projection onscreen. As you move in for a smooch, the woman closes her eyes and gets ready for some action; when you back away after an innocent peck, she giggles and blushes. (Watch a demo below.) Ogawa came up with the idea after he grew tired of the lifeless posters of pop idols lining his bedroom walls. But a kiss isn't enough for him. Ogawa says he wants to make it a more sensory experience, by adding such things as the smell of a woman's shampoo, or the sound of someone whispering, "I love you." The affection-seeking researcher is also working on an iPad app.
The reaction: "Theres no good way to put this, but this idea is downright creepy," says Max Eddy at Geekosystem. How could one of these kissing-booth posters "not be a hotspot for communicable diseases," especially if the famous poster-person is incredibly popular? Yeah, I have to agree with the folks at Geekosystem, says Lauren Daniels at TIME. Sure, there could be an audience for this type of up close experience, "but the idea of publicly kissing posters makes us want to run for a vat of Purell." Take a look:
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