The Adult Entertainment Technology We Lust After: Part 1 – Hardware

Here’s a wish list of the sex tech we really, really want

There’s no denying that the last few years have seen flat out amazing developments in all sorts of technology, especially those of a (ahem) sexual nature.

Virtual reality alone has gone from a clumsy, bulky near-joke to a rapidly rising star moving toward common acceptance. You know things are really happening when one year it’s the medium-sized-but-eager Oculus Riftand the next it’s the giant Sony with their own PlayStation VR.

Sex tech, though, has really been rocking on the hardware, where the mechanical meets the meat, so to speak. Teledildonics, like VR, used to be a pipedream—to use a silly sexual allusion. But coming very soon, the cyberpunk wet dreams of the 90s will no doubt be standard pieces of equipment for digital erotic explorers.

The state of the art… today

Just look at a few of these Future of Sex articles, which show how physical sexual technology has moved from blue-sky dreaming to some actual, functional prototypes:

–Ben Barnes reported on The Teslasuit: a full-body “smart textile” garment that uses electromagnetic impulses to simulate all kinds of sensations such as “warm breeze, water submersion” and, best of all, human touch.

–Jenna Owsianik added an extra dimension to haptic possibilities, one that eradicates the need for cumbersome equipment like full-body suits. She introduced us to HaptoClone, which uses airborne ultrasound tactile display to give the illusion of physical contact with holograms

–Jenna also wrote about how Lovense, a sex tech manufacturer, is working with VirtualRealPorn [NSFW] , an adult entertainment website, to integrate videos and their haptic sex toys to allow users to “feel the performers’ movements from a first-person perspective.”

– I even contributed a bit to this, writing on B.Sensory’s merging of erotic literature with sex tech, adding an extra physical thrill to sexy stories.

But there’s more that could be done

The Teslasuit has the potential to use the entire body for technological erotic play, but it stops at the neck. HaptoClone could be full body, however, it’s not been developed for genitals at all, only manual touch.

In time, perhaps, the Teslasuit and HaptoClone prototypes could be made to be much more full-body experiences. But in the meantime, many sex tech developers seem to be focusing solely on human “happy bits.”

As wiser men than I have said, sexual pleasure is not a matter of genitals. Lots of people experience incredibly fulfilling sex lives without focusing solely on the parts of themselves between their legs. Oral enthusiasts, for instance, see the current breakthroughs as being more than a bit lacking.

The same could be said for those who are passionate about breast play. The Teslasuit again has potential, but sensation is not the same as passion. Those into tickling might be able to be satisfied with electromagnetic or sound/hologrammatic touch—though anyone into solid impact BDSM could be disappointed.

Agreed, we are still in the early stages true technological innovation in regards to sex tech, and there will be no doubt some amazing breakthroughs in the coming years. It’s just a tad disheartening to see so much research and development being focused on only very specific human body parts.

For oral sex fans, why not devices designed not to be inserted but–for lack of a better word—savored, in other ways? It doesn’t seem like a huge amount of research would be required to interview people who get by giving oral sex to work out a design. The same would be true for pleasing female genitalia, without the insertion component. Flavor might be a bit of a challenge but, hey, we are a darned resourceful species—especially when it comes to sex.

If you are into erotic breast stimulation, a device could be created that might mix both mechanical action (for firmness) and electromagnetic stimulation or sound/hologrammatic (for gentleness). Suction could also be implemented, especially if coupled with a nice rhythmic motion for extra realism.

For breast play givers, the Japanese have been playing with something close in their oppai breast pillows. All we need is add in some delicate artificial erect responsiveness and… yum!

BDSM fans have it perhaps a bit easier as mechanical devices can—and have—been used to reproduce everything from a flogger to a cane, just to use two toys as an example. But the spectrum of kink is very wide, with lots of room for experimentation. Perhaps a coupling artificial impact devices with feedback so dominants can inflict—and receive the tactile pleasure of the action?

There’s also the question of pushing the limits of what sex organs can even be. We’ve seen some of this with sex tech toys that look anything but human. Why not a whole genre of haptic tech devices appealing to those with more fantastic erotic imaginations? You could mix and match all kinds of shapes, colors, textures, and actions—or even give users the options to create their own. We are seeing some of this, with companies likeMakerLove.com and others, but there is room for both greater flexibility in both action and design.

Beyond the limits of sex

We are truly surfing on the bleeding edge of sex tech. Soon we may not be able to distinguish between real sex and an artificial variety.

But until we arrive at the technological nirvana that the Telsasuit and HaptoClone may be leading us toward, here’s hoping that many of the other brilliant engineers and designers working in the field will take some time to explore the whole spectrum of human sexual pleasure and not just keep their visions of the future either in the sky—or below the waist

Next: The Adult Entertainment Technology We Lust After: Part 2 – Software

Images source: Shinoda Lab, Radio Saigon