Realism is an important feature for sex robots and sex dolls, but what materials could transform the tactile experience beyond the standard silicone?

Realism at request

One of the most requested features across all types of sex toys is realism. Consumers want their sex toys to feel (and sometimes look) as close as possible to a real human. Realism becomes even more important for sex dolls and sex robots not only because they come at a much higher price tag but also because of how they can be used by consumers. They are larger, feature more advanced technology, and are designed to represent full bodies/people, although robots and dolls can technically be defined as two separate things. Realistic materials are expected by consumers to provide the best alternative to human skin and stimulation that fulfills their fantasies.

Materials present: Standard silicone

The use of silicone and the more affordable thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) in creating the most realistic skin-like feel has been heavily debated by sex industry professionals. While the answer may vary between different types of sex toys, the current consensus is that although both silicone and TPE can emulate human skin, silicone simply does it better. So much so that it has become the standard for a variety of sex toys, including sex dolls and sex robots.

Materials of the future: Second skin

Three unique and innovative materials show promise to be used within the sex doll/robot industry; sensor skin, Aerohaptics, and printable artificial skin.

Sensor skin is a “form of artificial skin, packed with miniature sensors and actuators, that gives the wearer a remarkably realistic haptic illusion of being in physical contact with another person”. If this material were to be used with sex robots, it could potentially elevate tactile experiences by making every touch, feel, and cuddle feel much more real.

Aerohaptics is an even more futuristic material as it’s basically mechanically engineered skin…from a hologram. In 2021, a team at the University of Glasgow “configured their system so that users could virtually bounce a holographic basketball and feel it smack back into their hands”. While the team basketball experiment isn’t the sexiest example of Aerohaptics, if applied with sex robots in a virtual reality setting (which is already a popular feature), this technology could heighten the interactive component of sexual play as a sex robot could respond to the user’s movements – whether in-person or online.

RELATED READ: New Technologies That Could Give Sexbots Ultra-realistic Skin

While the two previously mentioned materials are already underway, a newer artificial skin developed at CalTech “can now give robots the ability to sense temperature, pressure, and even toxic chemicals through a simple touch.” This technology is part of a platform that uses artificial printable skin within a robotic arm as well as sensors that attach to human skin. According to CalTech, “the printable skin is a gelatinous hydrogel and makes robot fingertips a lot more like our own” the sensors embedded in the hydrogel give the robot skin the ability to detect the world around it. A sex robot that could sense temperature and pressure would completely transform the user experience!

Driven by consumers, the ongoing innovations in sex robot manufacturing prioritize realism, especially in the tactile realm. Finding an artificial skin material that is of premium quality, allows for flexibility in movement, and can be used to replicate different thicknesses, textures, and elasticity of different body parts (such as the vagina) would be groundbreaking for the market. It could be one of the existing materials mentioned in this article; however, this sex writer is excited to see what the future holds.

Image Sources: Cottonbro Studio

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What is influencer marketing and why is it important in the sex tech space?

Chances are you’ve been scrolling on Instagram or Facebook when a “sponsored ad” pops up, or you’ve been watching a vlog on YouTube when they cut to the “sponsored” part of the video. 

This is called influencer marketing, a modern form of social media advertising where brands use popular figures like celebrities and everyday people to endorse their products and services. It’s a marketing tool gaining traction across all industries, from household items to tech gadgets and even in the sex tech space.

What is influencer marketing exactly?

Influencer marketing brings the product or service and any potential information surrounding it directly to consumers on the apps they are already engaged on, such as Instagram or TikTok. 

Another form of this is educational marketing where education and more detailed information regarding specific niches are provided for the viewer within the content itself.

The people being used to promote the goods and services are called influencers because the goal is that they will influence their audience to buy said product or service. Not only does this create less work for the brand, but it’s also a way to showcase more brand diversity, engaging with all sorts of different folks worldwide on social media.

Influencer marketing shines a positive light on sex tech

Due to advertising challenges, both online and offline, influencer marketing has become an especially important tool within the sex tech and sexuality industry. 

The subject of sex remains a point of contention for many. This stigma limits brands on how or where they can legally advertise. Unfortunately, these rules are often unequal for all brands, strictly enforcing certain types of content while letting other, similar types of content slide.

For example, women’s sexual wellness brand Dame Products filed a lawsuit against New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority in 2019 for banning their ad that featured female sex toys. The company claimed that the MTA unfairly decided to remove their ad while continuing to run other ads with innuendos and male sexual content, such as ads for erectile dysfunction medication. 

RELATED READ: Sex Tech CEOs on Pushing Back Against Big Tech and Sexual Censorship

It’s not any better on the internet, where apps have created community terms and guidelines that also seem discriminatory to certain types of content, especially those surrounding the theme of female or queer pleasure. If the platform thinks the content violates the guidelines, the brand’s social media account (and sometimes the influencers working alongside the brand) will be shadow-banned (purposely hidden from the algorithm) or deleted altogether from the platform. 

Currently, the sex industry as a whole is relying on euphemisms and innuendos within its content in an attempt to appear less explicit. This includes changing the spelling of or avoiding the use of certain words and emojis due to their sexual nature (like the eggplant ) and other such workarounds to outsmart the algorithm. 

However, constantly trying to keep up and find loopholes doesn’t provide a sustainable option for the long-term success of any brand.

Future sex tech advertising will go beyond influencers and innuendos

Despite the challenges, there is hope for the future of sex tech advertising, especially with the use of influencer and educational marketing. 

By educating the consumer and society in general about sex tech, sexual health, and pleasure, the goal is that the subject will gradually become less controversial, creating fewer barriers for the industry.

In a perfect world, the existing policies on these apps will stop targeting certain types of content over others. Or perhaps another new platform will be created specifically for the sex tech and sexuality space where we no longer have to try to beat a system that’s designed to keep us out.

Image sources: Ivan Samkov

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While they sound similar, sex robots and sex machines are two different pleasure products.

Often used interchangeably in and out of the sexuality field, sex robots and sex machines are built for pleasure and are known to be jam-packed with innovative technology. 

Both sex robots and sex machines can be found in realistic and non-realistic body designs. Some even include interchangeable parts—like dildos—that allow you to customize them further for a personalized pleasure experience. That said, this superior technology and features also tend to make these sex toys more expensive than others. 

Seemingly similar, is there really a difference between sex robots and sex machines? If you pay closer attention to the details, you may find that these two things are indeed two different types of pleasure products.

“Sex robot” are more human-like in design and function

Breaking it down to the basics, even outside of the sexuality realm, the definition of a robot often implies more intelligence behind the technology compared to a machine. 

“I think when most people think robots, they think intelligent robots. Otherwise, they’re just machines, right? Like your washing machine, you wouldn’t call a robot, even though maybe it fits some criteria of a robot.” Alex from KinkyMakers told Future of Sex in another interview.

Also, from this writer’s experience in the sex toy industry, sex robots imply that they are more human-like in design and function. 

They are almost like upgraded sex dolls that boast more technology that can provide more functions for the user. They were created to resemble a person (or parts of a person) and fulfill a variety of fantasies, whereas sex machines don’t often have this human aspect associated with them. 

Some of these advanced features include animatronics, such as blinking and making facial expressions, fully robotic bodies, face recognition and voice control systems, and the ability to converse with the user. As artificial intelligence begins to make its way into the market, time and technology can only tell just how human-like these dolls and robots will become in the future.

“Sex machines” are simpler and less intricate

Sex machines—which are still more technologically advanced than your average sex toy—are simpler and can have less intricate technology to offer the user compared to a sex robot. 

As James from KinkyMakers previously told Future of Sex, “I would say the difference is a sex machine doesn’t have as many movements as a sex robot. When I hear sex robot, I think of something that has a couple more degrees of freedom in its movement.”

While they can’t offer a human element, sex machines (like the Lovense Sex Machine) still provide the user with advanced features such as automation and hands-free play, erotic content built-in to the device, and even virtual reality.

We’ll likely continue to see these terms confused

Since both are relatively newer to the market, we’ll likely see robots and machines often used interchangeably as both continue to develop with the latest in sex tech. 

However, if you dig a little deeper into the technology, it’s clear that sex robots and sex machines aren’t the same. We can technically define each as a different type of intricate sex toy, with sex robots providing more features to the user at a higher cost. 

Image sources: DeepMind, Abyss Creations, Lovense.

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Market leader aims to help clear hurdles stopping small companies from entering the industry.

As most people in the sex tech industry are already aware, the business is a tough one. 

Although developers are constantly evolving their products and offering up new innovations, the general taboo toward sex causes many hurdles for any company looking to enter the market. 

Many corporations such as banks and insurance companies don’t want to be associated with the industry in any capacity, resulting in a lack of support and funding for potential research, development, and distribution.

But sex tech leader Doc Johnson wants to change the game. 

It hopes to do so with an incubator investment model in which it can offer its support and resources to fledgling sex tech startups. Specifically, it is testing the business model first with the startup Come Play.

“Despite the fact that we’re in a multibillion-dollar industry and sex toys have become widely used by people from all walks of life, operating in our category remains difficult, especially for startups,” Chad Braverman, Doc Johnson COO and CCO, said in a press release.

At the same time, startups are so needed in this space to bring forth innovation.

It’s playtime!

Come Play is a newer, female-focused company dedicated to creating unique, pleasure-enhancing products while revolutionizing equitable sexual experiences for all. The brand’s products aim to solve problems, provide orgasms, and create more intimacy between partners. 

Come Play CEO and founder Piri Miller praises its new partner for speeding up product development.

“It was such a relief to pitch our company to the team at Doc Johnson. I felt like I was immediately understood and taken seriously, which isn’t a typical experience when you are pitching Sex Tech,” she said.

Doc Johnson will help Come Play in the various stages involved in developing prototypes and bringing them to market, including manufacturing, logistics, as well as aid in distribution to 60 countries. 

Doc Johnson calls itself the “largest pleasure products manufacturer in America,” where the business is both owned and operated. With more than 40 years in the industry, it will be a valuable mentor and resource for Come Play, which is developing its introductory toy, the Petl; a couples’, hands-free vibrator that securely and comfortably attaches to the clitoris.

Come Play is also one of at least 11 sex tech companies that are exhibitors at CES 2020. The company is unveiling Petl at the annual trade show happening from Jan. 7 to 10.

It will be interesting to see how the incubation investment model will work within the sex tech industry, one with a proven unique set of challenges. 

If this partnership is successful, Braverman wants to expand the incubator model and work with more startups.

“We’ve been talking about this plan for quite a while. We’re serious about it and we want to scale it. Things are changing in our industry and we hope this approach ushers in an end to the taboos that make operating in the category unnecessarily hard,” he said.

By pairing startups with the bigger companies that have already staked their claim in the business, it will hopefully help newer sex toys and technologies get to market quicker. If it proves to be successful for Come Play and Doc Johnson, the incubation investment model could be just what the industry needs to move forward.

Image sources: Come Play

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