One of the first senses we learn about at birth is touch, and the one sense that can deepen our
experience of many situations is touch. In this paper we propose the use of emotions including
touch within virtual reality (VR) to create a simulated closeness that currently can only be
achieved with in-person interactions and communications. With the simulation of nonverbal
cues, we can enhance a conversation or interaction in VR. Using haptic devices to deliver the
simulation of touch between users via sensors and machine learning for emotion recognition
based on data collected; all working towards simulated closeness in communication despite
distance or being in VR. We present a direction for further research on how to simulate in-
person communication within VR with the use of emotion recognition and touch to achieve a
close-to-real interaction.