From the RealTouch to the Handy: How Male Sex Tech Has Evolved in a Decade
Pleasure tech for men has leap-frogged, in part thanks to VR and Bluetooth.
For a long period of time, sex toys for men were considered secondary as most sex toy manufacturers focused on the female market. The male market lacked the same level of advancement, mainly because open conversation between men on the topic had also been lacking.
Within the last four years, however, there’s been a stark advantage to some male sex tech devices, which are providing features and functions we haven’t seen before.
Male machines making moves
It was 2011 when the idea of interactive male sex devices became a reality.
The RealTouch is the first example of this. The device was fairly compact, powered via wire and included the use of ribbed belts, heating elements and a lubrication dispenser. It faced a hard barrier due to patent holders increasing costs to license the patent which inevitably made it impossible to justify its continuation.
The device was ambitious, fresh, and delivered a more immersive experience than had ever been offered to men. The ability to mimic motion, to have movement mapped to a specific video or other media was novel and it lingers to this day in the newer variants of similar devices.Â
Jump ahead a decade, and the teledildonic world is expanding as cheaper and more affordable toys are coming with wifi and Bluetooth capability such as the Handy. Released earlier this year and designed in Norway, the high-tech automatic claims to have the most powerful motor on the market, offering 600 strokes per minute.
Like the RealTouch, it synchs to erotic video.
The Handy has also progressed with the times integrating virtual reality synchronization along with standard video.
As synchronization and other forms of interactivity become more prevalent in toys, there also comes the implementation of upgradable software to help along with the process.
The idea of having firmware updates, a far throw from the typical use case scenario of toys is actually a reality.
The end benefit for the consumer is that they can actually own a sex tech device that, through iteration and testing can become more advanced and capable as the market develops, smoother synchronization, compatibility with other devices etc.
Unlike typical experiences with sex tech, new device purchases won't be necessary as upgrades to the experience come easier and faster with the use of apps and software.
With the advancement of app development and software usage, the possibilities for utilizing personal Tech devices in a more engaging and even social way is becoming possible. Across country connection and instantaneous feedback using WiFi compatible devices can help remote users stuck in a stuttery state.
It’s actually becoming tech
It’s important to note that it’s good to see this development, it changes how we see the market, one that’s littered with Bluetooth-vibrating insertables.
Devices that can be programmed and can use updatable software will usher in new waves of experience, breaking a wall in the market for companies to peek into, to see what potential lies beyond the outer shell of the current state sex tech.
These experiences have been had by many of the users of The Handy and the Keon by KIIROO. These devices work the way many Auto Masturbators do, they hold a stroker which the user inserts into and the user can then control the speed and length of those strokes. Simple idea right.Â
Where this idea becomes more than just an automatic masturbator is within the software. Funscripts is a filetype with specific movement points plotted at different times and is what makes it possible for these devices to Mimic the movement of pornography.
Users have the ability to make their own Funscripts with software that members of the community have made. This makes it easy to map your own patterns and movements and people with the spare time have been doing just that.
Remote play
In step with the female market, masturbators designed for the male market are embracing interactive and remote sex features.
Any person who owns The Handy, once they’ve completed the wifi set up, can use their connection key to connect to The Handy’s web API. Once hooked up, you can insert your media files and the corresponding scripts, then use the devices for exactly what I stated earlier. But that’s not all.
Remote features are baked into the device and the simplicity of having someone control it is quite fresh. Give your connection key to someone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, and just like that they can manipulate your device in real time.
This allows for long-distance interactivity to a degree of play and pleasure that's more than just changing vibration speeds and settings. This in the hands of couples creates an intimate space to share that connection that is lacking in times of seperation.
