In one embodiment, the transmitting device 240 may include a signal generator to generate and transmit actuator signals (based on the sensor signals 207) to an array of cutaneous actuators (illustrated and described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 15A through 15E) placed on a receiving user's body 280 to cause the array to create continuous tactile motion along the body 280 of the receiving user. The actuator signals may correspond to words of a social touch lexicon. The actuator signals may include information on pressure, temperature, texture, sheer stress, time, and space of a physical touch perceived by the receiving user's body 280. These parameters (e.g., pressure) may be used by the array to generate haptic outputs corresponding to the parameters received by the array. For example, the parameters may be translated into a duration time, frequency, or amplitude of the haptic outputs. Alternately, the transmitting device 240 may send actuator signals to the social networking system 228 to adjust the actuator signals before they are transmitted to the body 280 of the receiving user.
