[The description of the product in this Kickstarter campaign (which has now met its funding goal) says, “Quite simply, Pillow Talk enables two people to experience each other’s presence”; the story is from Mashable, where it includes more images and a 1:39 minute video; see the campaign’s website for much more information including a longer video. –Matthew]
Pillow Talk sends your long-distance partner the sound of your heartbeat
Alicia Marie Tan
December 1, 2015
Pillow talk is an important part of a relationship. It’s the intimate conversations you have with your partner between the sheets, snuggling and staring into each others eyes.
But it can be hard to do that when you’re in a long-distance relationship. A product that takes its name from those shared moments is hoping to bridge that gap between loved ones. Pillow Talk enables you to feel your partner’s presence by sharing heartbeats via a wristband and speaker.
An iOS or Android app pairs you and your partner together. When you go to bed, you both strap on wristbands that contain heart sensors. You can hear and feel each other’s heartbeats through a speaker you place under your pillow.
The products, available in red or blue, are designed with fabric that’s intended to be soft and comfortable. The speaker can be used without the soft top for a deeper, louder heartbeat sound. Using the app, you can plug your headphones into your phone and listen to your loved one’s heartbeat, too.
Pillow Talk was originally developed for couples, according to the Kickstarter page.
Roughly 3.5 million Americans live apart from their spouses, according to a 2014 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. And up to three-quarters of college students have had a long-distance relationship, according to a 2012 Purdue University study.
Joanna Montgomery, the founder of Little Riot which makes Pillow Talk, says the device can be used beyond romantic connections, too. For example, parents who are often home away from their kids can use it to feel more present.
While modern technology has allowed people to connect with loved ones through text, video chat and simply talking on the phone, Montgomery, who was in a long-distance relationship when she developed this idea, thinks those connections aren’t enough. She designed Pillow Talk as part of a university project.
Pillow Talk isn’t the only device connecting people through heartbeats, though. The Apple Watch’s Digital Touch lets you send a heartbeat to someone so they can see and feel it. The watch’s healthcare app uses sensors so parents can listen to their baby’s heartbeat right on their wrist.
As of this writing, the Pillow Talk Kickstarter has raised $74,327 of a $113,031 goal. One commenter on the Kickstarter page said she’s been tracking this product for about five years now:
“I am so excited that it is finally coming out. My husband is a Merchant Marine and sails as a 2nd officer, he is away about half of the year. Our only communication for a while was e-mail, so you can see why Pillow Talk is going to make us feel so much more connected even when my hubby is half way around the world.”
Another commenter even asked if the company could make the app for Windows phones. Others might think a heartbeat in a speaker box is gimmicky or even creepy — a modern-day manifestation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
The Kickstarter campaign ends Dec. 10.