This hellish slab of artificial skin will let you pinch, tickle, and stroke your mobile

There’s a new type of experimental phone case doing the rounds that replaces the hard shells and silicone we know and love with an eerily lifelike artificial skin. It’s called Skin-On, and the technology (designed by Marc Teyssier at Telecom ParisTech) will apparently let us interact with our smart devices in a more sensory, human manner by facilitating gestures like tickling, pinching, and stroking. Indeed, Teyssier claims “human skin is the best interface for interaction,” and while that’s a touching sentiment, it’s hard not to wonder what people might think if they saw someone sauntering down the street caressing what appears to be a hearty chunk of human meat. Probably nothing good.