"Lover's Cups" let distant friends share a beer

It must be great working at MIT's Media Lab, where besides "serious" projects like the hundred dollar laptop, students and faculty are also free to explore less-pressing issues- like how to help distant friends and lovers feel more of a connection while they're individually getting drunk. "Lab" rats Jackie Lee, Hyemin Chung, and Ted Selker have addressed this rather under-publicized problem with a unique set of high-tech drinking glasses, called "Lover's Cups," that are rigged with sip and liquid sensors, accelerometers, RF chips, LEDs, and vibration motors to visually and/or haptically alert one cup holder when his/her partner is drinking or shaking the (hopefully empty) glass. The Cups are useful for more than just long-distance games of quarters, though, as physically tapping two of them together creates a wireless "bond" that alerts partygoers to one another's drinking habits, and generally encourages more imbibing by everyone. Plus, along with the My Beating Heart pillow and hug shirt, these Love Cups could finally help you fulfill your goal of becoming a complete and total Howard Hughes-type recluse.

[Via Smart Mobs]

[norcom @ Mar 9th 2006 8:18PM]

beer pong... err, lovers cups anyone?

"everytime the cup shakes, DRINK!"

[Mr. Anonymous Tipster @ Mar 9th 2006 8:49PM]

ah,

this could be an interesting drinking game.

[jkprime @ Mar 9th 2006 8:51PM]

Please no more, telepresence/lovers/friendship pillows/mugs/clothing/badges/pets rubbish. This idea has been done to death, people just pick up the phone and talk to someone. In an era of ever improving communication do we really need gadgety rubbish that glows/vibrates/warbles/warms up/cools down or explodes to say I miss you, it becomes the easy way out negating the development of effective social skils and genuine relationships.

[syberspaced @ Mar 9th 2006 10:42PM]

what ever happened to "just put your lips together and blow!"?

[The ultimate collection @ Mar 10th 2006 12:25AM]

What a waste of brain matter.

[Guy @ Mar 10th 2006 1:55AM]

This is great! Finally you're no longer an alcoholic, you're a social drinker!

If only it wasn't named "Lover's Cups" and instead something that I could get for my good friend. Maybe "Long Distance Alcohol" or something. This way the you could market it as LDA, which is also "Legal Drinking Age". Practical and educational, with alcohol.

Do you know when will it be available?

[Jurgen @ Mar 10th 2006 3:17AM]

... No, not a waste of brain matter. These things *need* to be invented; to demonstrate that human creativity should know no bounds, and to demonstrate that such creativity still exists so there's hope for a better world.
#5, what would be your suggestion? That all that Man produces, is to the better of Big Corp's CEOs only ..?

[Ryan @ Mar 10th 2006 9:05AM]

I'm not going to suggest anything either, but seriously, this sounds like a truly pointless "invention".

Actually, I will suggest a new invention. How about a cellphone that vibrates when your significant other makes or receives calls so that you can be in tune with her calling habits? THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES!

[slyecho @ Mar 10th 2006 9:08AM]

I suppose it works by TCP/IP (telecommunications protocol for imbibing pilsners).

http://internet.ls-la.net/man-pages/uubp.html

[tr @ Mar 10th 2006 11:43AM]

for those naysayers, you have to understand that this isn't a "product" in the sense that they are going to mass market this thing. this is a design study. not only does it show human creativity as Jurgen pointed out, but it helps in realizing potential needs and different ways of meeting those needs. think of this project as a type of "concept car": the actual car may not be produced, but bits and pieces of it may see the light of day, or this "car" may influence future products.

and maybe read their paper before spouting out lines like how stupid these "different" ideas are:

http://web.media.mit.edu/~jackylee/publication/ac304-chung.pdf

[michelle @ Mar 11th 2006 2:01AM]

are you kidding me what i do elsewhere is my buisness and i would not allow someone else to tell me how much i can drink anyways so this would be a hugh waste

[Craig @ Mar 12th 2006 8:44AM]

Some of you are very closed minded

[Josh @ Mar 12th 2006 12:01PM]

Just becuse the cup itself may not be useful the technology developed from making this will find it's way into inventions that will lead to new ideas in communication. Remember almost every product that you use everyday is a culmination of the works of others. Thats why human beings have advanced so quickly and monkey's still live in trees. Besides if you were an engineer at MIT wouldn't you want to do something fun every once in a while?

[Dave @ Mar 12th 2006 1:09PM]

GREAT IDEA.....Why didn't I think of this at the last Mensa meeting?

[Maples @ Apr 16th 2006 9:32AM]

i guess if one has the means then one can do anything one wishes to, not everyone is expected to own one of those cups, and if u find the idea a waste of brain matter, just go grab yourself the everyday can u've always been using...i personally find them exciting. anyway not everything invented should be towards making the world a better place, we can try put some humour into it while we're at it.

[sigma @ Aug 16th 2006 8:39AM]

hey,

i think it's a great idea. my boyfriend is in the peace corps in china and with the 12 hour time difference and lack of regular internet or phone, it's just hard to get in touch. it'd be nice to have something like this for when he does get into an internet-capable area...i think it's a nice quiet way of saying "i'm thinking about you".

people are so cynical outside of the movies. :)

[Anjali @ May 19th 2009 7:24AM]

Although mechanical examples of computers have existed throughout history, the first resembling a modern computer were developed in the mid-20th century