Over the years, countless forms of technology have been developed to make it easier for people to connect and communicate with each other when they are far away.

First it was the telegram, then the phone, then social media, but now there’s a new invention that’s far more disturbing: a fake mouth designed to let you kiss your partner from a distance.

The device was created by an engineer in China. It has a moving silicone mouthpiece, which allows you to kiss your partner from a distance. The sensors mimic the pressure, movement and heat of your partner’s lips, and even transmit kiss sounds to make it as realistic as possible.

People can also use the device when the recipient is nearby, but physical contact is not an option for example if someone has a mouth infection or Covid.

Scientists are already working to bring kissing to the metaverse, the virtual common space accessible via the internet.

The “Miracle Kissing Device for Long Distance Lovers” was invented and patented by the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology in eastern China.

“At my university, I had a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend,” Jiang Zhongli, one of the inventors, told the Global Times. “We only had contact with each other over the phone, and that’s where the inspiration for this device came from.”

Because the device is connected to the internet, it works no matter how far the two people are. Users insert their smartphone into the top of the device and begin “recording” their kiss by touching and kissing the device’s lips. When they’re done, they can upload and save their kiss to a companion app before it’s sent to the recipient, kind of like sending a WhatsApp message.

The fake lips on the recipient’s device reproduce the kissing motions, while also transmitting noises.

According to the South China Morning Post, a set of lips costs 260 yuan (30 pounds or $38) or 550 yuan (66 pounds or $80). Customer feedback so far varies…