Bedroom Pillow Talk Just Got Way High Tech

Long-distance relationships aren’t easy to deal with, especially when frequent visits aren’t an option. But now, a new gadget called Pillow Talk is looking to make you feel closer to your long-distance significant other via the sound of their heartbeat.

Yes, I said heartbeat. Invented by U.K. interactive design company Little Riot, the wearable tech transmits you and your partner’s heartbeat through a tiny speaker you hide inside your pillowcase. The device is basically made up of two Bluetooth-connected wristbands, which record the users’ heartbeats and then transmits them to each other through a smartphone app. Soon launching on Kickstarter, Pillow Talk is meant to create the illusion of closeness between you and your partner, no matter what the actual distance is. The gadget reportedly started out as a university project in 2012 that went viral, eventually earning 43,000 Facebook fans and 45,000 mailing list sign-ups. Now, the creators are looking to raise money to make the product a reality.

Given the reaction to the initial project, it seems there is actual demand for the wearable. But the question remains — is this useful or just creepy? On the one hand, listening to a heartbeat in real-time through a pillow speaker seems a little too Edgar Allen Poe for my taste. Then again, anyone who’s ever been in a long-distance relationship knows that there are many, many, ways in which it sucks, and you kind of just have to do whatever it takes to stay sane. If Pillow Talk helps ease any loneliness, then all the more power to you, right?

The project is entering its final phases of product development before hitting Kickstarter, and will eventually be available through the company's online store.

Image: Pillow Talk