The more straitjacked the public face, the kinkier and more disturbing the inner workings, I always say. Certainly I always say that about Singapore, as I discover more and more things that suggest that deep and twisted issues lie beneath the prim, orderly surface.

The latest sign is this invention, brought to you by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University:
Reuters: SINGAPORE--Singapore scientists looking for ways to transmit the sense of touch over the Internet have devised a vibration jacket for chickens and are thinking about electronic children's pajamas for cyberspace hugs.

A wireless jacket for chickens or other pets can be controlled with a computer and gives the animal the feeling of being touched by its owner, researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told The Straits Times.

The next step would be to use the same concept to transmit hugs over the Internet, it said.

"These days, parents go on a lot of business trips, but with children, hugging and touching are very important," the paper quoted NTU Associate Professor Adrian David Cheok as saying.

NTU is thinking of a pajama suit for children, which would use the Internet to adjust changes in pressure and temperature to simulate the feeling of being hugged. Parents wearing a similar suit could be "hugged" back by their children, the paper said.
Hugs?

Now, when you think of Internet + tactile technology, what comes to mind? Is it hugs for the little children? Or petting the cat while you are away? Or is www.handjob.com? Or, perhaps less conventionally, www.slapmesilly.com? Sounds like another great moment for e-commerce to me. And what's with the chickens?

Like all universities in Singapore, NTU is a government institution. That means this is government funded research. That must mean something, but I don't know what.