Sometimes, I just want to pet my chicken. The problem? My chicken is so far away. Oh, woe is me. But my problem won't be a problem much longer thanks to an enterprising group from the National University of Singapore's Mixed Reality Lab. They've developed a way for me to pet my chicken through the internet. The future is now!

The idea was inspired by acts of pets and animal abuse through lack of welfare. This system enables humans to provide care for pets even though they are physically not together. The system enables a human to remotely touch her pet which is kept at home while she is away (in her office), and at the same time monitor the movement of the pet. This is realized by using a doll, which resembles the real pet located remotely, sitting on a mechanical positioning table. The pet owner interacts with the real pet by touching the doll.

Mixed Reality Lab, via Neatorama