Brain Waves XR’s Multisensory VR Sex Needs No Additional Hardware, Just Your Brain
Who needs haptic suits when you can trick your brain instead?
Montreal-based tech startup Brain Waves XR aims to provide immersive VR experiences that simulate touch (and sometimes smell) without needing haptics.
To create these experiences, Brain Waves XR developed a process called Flow that “changes the light emitted from their VR headset screens and modifies the way it’s processed and interpreted by the brain, creating different immersion modes to provoke a variety of moods,” according to a statement sent to Future of Sex.
Last month, the company announced partnerships with Canadian sex doll brothels Ohmydoll and Playdoll to test the technology and collect feedback.
How the technology works
Brain Waves XR developed its Touch Flow technology process using what’s referred to in VR as “phantom sense,”—meaning you can ‘feel’ a sensation not produced by the headset or hardware accessories.
According to How-To Geek: “The phantom sense that people report experiencing in VR is most likely a form of ‘body transference.’ Body transference happens when someone takes ‘ownership’ of something as part of their own body when it isn’t.”
The “rubber hand experiment” is a well-known example of body transference, with subjects claiming they even feel pain when the rubber hand is poked with a needle or slammed with a hammer.
“Psychologists theorize that this illusion happens when bottom-up processes override top-down processes,” the How-To Geek article continues.
“In other words, even though you know it’s not your real body part, on a fundamental [level], your brain is fooled into accepting it, and your conscious mind is along for the ride whether it wants to be or not.”
That’s likely why Brain Waves XR refers to their experiences as ‘flows.’ Your brain needs to be trained and eased into the process to be receptive to these phantom sensations.
Brain Waves XR has an example on its website using YouTube videos and written instructions to showcase the concept.
Breaking into sex tech
On December 1, 2022, Brain Waves XR launched its Hybrid-Flow in beta. This flow combines the phantom sensations from the Touch Flow with experiences designed to enhance or provoke particular moods. Notable titles include Empowerment Flow, Anti-stress Flow, and Artificial Love Flow.
While Brain Waves XR didn’t build the technology specifically for the adult industry, founder Kais Latiri affirmed in a statement “that the process is already at work with a sexual-wellness branch.”
Hybrid-Flow is currently offered through the company’s Meta SPA VR, established in 2018 to develop “various kinds of legitimate experiences that bring sex-related concepts to life.”
Partnering with Canadian sex doll brothels Ohmydoll and Playdoll
In January 2023, Brain Waves XR announced that Canadian sex doll brothels Ohmydoll and Playdoll have teamed up with Meta SPA VR.
From the Playdoll website: “Meta SPA VR premises… is a place of art, sensuality and above all, technology. We offer experiences that include virtual reality technology propulsed by The Flow Technology… to immerse you in worlds of pleasure.”
Flow is now available at the Edmonton and Montreal locations, with plans to open a new location soon in Calgary.
Brain Waves XR is also hosting an ‘Enlightenment’ event on March 1, 2023. Find more information on our events page.
Image source: Meta SPA VR
