Mobile-shaped people

Researchers in Japan have developed a cell phone with a soft, skin-like texture that makes the user feel closer to the person talking on the other end.

" The phone called Elfoid gives the user a sense of touch with the person they are talking to ," said the National Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR) representative. It claims to be a " revolutionary means of communication ".

Elfoid phone. Photo: AFP.

The Telenoid project is implemented in collaboration with Osaka University, NTT DoCoMo and other research institutes. According to AFP, ATR hopes to produce and sell this product to the market in a few years after adding functional image and voice recognition.

Doll phones will have many variations such as men, women, children or the elderly. It is only a little longer than a hand with a built-in speaker and lights on the chest to turn blue when used.