It was invented by the "Pretty Amazing Jono" - that's his magician stage name.

His real name is Jonathan Burrows, of Wallsend. Jono recently took his contraption to Wallsend Village shopping centre to spread some cheer.

"I thought, 'OK I've made a silly thing, what do I do with it? I should go visit my shops'," he said.

Jono said the device was a fun way to connect with people and improve their day by giving them a laugh. Plus, it's handy for social distancing. Pardon the pun.

Topics: "This will be seen all throughout Asia soon. People will be wearing their face masks and their Handshake 2020s."

Jono: "I should patent it."

Jono has been working as a magician for quite a while. He described the role as a "magic stunt clown", minus the traditional clown outfit.

"The thing I love about magic is the process of creating effects. And magic is a great way to connect.

"Usually I create gadgets and gizmos to use in shows and create moments to entertain people."

He likes to repurpose electronic devices to entertain others. Hence, the Handshake 2020.

A magician isn't supposed to reveal his tricks, so it wouldn't be polite to ask how it works.

But Jono did share this: "I love collecting weird things. I found bits and pieces in my shed and recycled some stuff."

And hey presto, the Handshake 2020 was born. In the COVID-19 world, it's a handy device to have around. Pardon the pun.

"It's hard not to pun with it," admitted Jono, who also works in media production with Newcastle company Out Of The Square.

The device comes with a detachable hand or claw.

"Or whatever you want to attach to the end of it," he said.

Jono's Handshake 2020 gave us a good belly laugh, which got us thinking about the power of humour.

"A doctor once prescribed Charlie Chaplain and Mr Bean," Jono said.

We checked this out. It's true. Hajime Kimata, an allergist in Japan, did a study in which participants viewed Charlie Chaplin's 1936 movie Modern Times as a therapeutic intervention. He also used movies starring Mr Bean.

The comedy made a big difference to people's symptoms. It was considered an antidote to stress

There's also a doctor in India named Ashok Aswani who hands out DVDs of Charlie Chaplin movies to his patients as medicine.

"This makes them feel better. They enjoy it. The next visit, they ask for another movie," he told NPR.

Dr Aswani has even been known to wear a Chaplin costume in his office.