CWRU student wins SXSW Tech Fest award for hugging teddy bears (photos)

Story excerpt provided by The Plain Dealer.

Written by Marcia Pledger.

Case Western Reserve University sophomore Xyla Foxlin never intended to start a company based on an idea for teddy bears at a hackathon in September. But now that Parihug has captured the reader’s choice award at SXSW Tech Fest, things could change.

Parihug offers electronically connected teddy bears that let you hug someone from anywhere in the world. When one bear is hugged, a suite of soft, fabric-based sensors detects the hug and transmits a message to the other bear. The receiving bear then “hugs” its owner with a gentle vibration.

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Originally published March 21, 2016.