Human-computer interaction researcher Marc Teyssier, who helped develop the device, told Digital Trends that he was motivated by a desire to bring the sensation of emotion through touch to interactions between people and their smartphones.
“In real-life communication, we use touch to communicate emotions with others,” Teyssier said. “However, current technology doesn’t use touch as an information channel. ... Because they’re always in our hands or pockets, smartphones are becoming companions for humans — yet right now they remain a cold and flat technology.”
They even developed a couple different versions, including a furry one and a flesh-like one to make it even more realistic (and creepy). More details can be found in the team’s research paper.