Hugs really do seem to make a difference, they help us cope better with life, give us comfort and make us feel less anxious.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we need social contact and miss being able to give and receive a hug.
What is HUG™?
HUG™ is an interactive object to cuddle that contains an electronics module that simulates a beating heart and can play music. It provides a physical substitute that seems to fill an important human need.
LAUGH (Ludic Artefacts Using Gesture and Haptics) researchers have developed the award-winning product for people living with advanced dementia. Professor Cathy Treadaway and her team from Cardiff School of Art and Design designed HUG™ for a lady who was on end of life care in a residential care home in Wales. She had become very withdrawn, had frequent falls, and was spending most of her time in bed.