Teledildonics (also known as cyberdildonics) is the name coined for virtual sex encounters using networked electronic sex toys to mimic and extend human sexual interaction. The term became known after technology critic and writer Howard Rheingold used it in his 1991 book Virtual Reality. [1] In the publication, Rheingold made futuristic conclusions and summaries surrounding technology and used the term 'teledildonics' to refer to remote sexual activity using technology. [1] Nowadays, the term is commonly used to describe remote sex (or, at least, remote mutual masturbation), where tactile sensations are communicated over a remote connection between the participants. The term can also refer to the integration of telepresence with sexual activity that these interfaces make possible and can be used in conjunction or interchangeably with sex-technology. The term has also been used less accurately (since there's no "tele-" element) to refer to robotic sex, i.e., computer-controlled sex toys that aim to substitute for or improve upon sex with a human partner. [2] [3] Nowadays, it is commonly used to refer to Bluetooth-enabled sex toys[ citation needed ].
Teledildonics is commonly used to describe Bluetooth-enabled sex toys, many of which have entered the market in the last decade. As well as being open to a remote connection for control, some toys can also be connected with corresponding devices to deliver synchronized movements between couples and remote partners. Teledildonics have also been used within the adult industry to create 'immersive' webcam shows, whereby users control the vibrations of the webcammers sex toy. [4] Some media outlets have reported on 'teldildonic' technology used by long-distance couples in order to maintain sexual relations. [5]
As well as offering remote functions, many teledildonic toys can be synchronized with pornography movies. Synchronization of porn with teledildonic or Bluetooth toys actions are controlled by means of a previously-written script. A report in 2008 suggested that teledildonics, along with text and email and webcams, can be used to "wind each other up to fever pitch during the working day" as a prelude to sex with a human during the evening hours. [6] New technologies can help people establish "emotional connections" via the web. [7] Indeed, teledildonics technology has already been integrated with adult online webcam services and certain sex toys, [8] such as OhMiBod, Lovense, and We-Vibe. [9] [10] One Dutch manufacturer, KIIROO, offers a two-way connection between both female and male sex toys. [11]
The term was coined as early as 1975 by Ted Nelson in his book Computer Lib/Dream Machines . The idea of virtual sex has been prominent in literature, fiction and popular culture, and promoters of these devices have claimed since the 1980s they are the "next big thing" in cybersex technology. [12] At the time Howard Rhinegold started using this term in 1990s, there were already many enthusiasts seeking to explore the power of technology, sex and intimacy. A report in the Chicago Tribune in 1993 suggested that teledildonics was "the virtual-reality technology that may one day allow people wearing special bodysuits, headgear and gloves to engage in tactile sexual relations from separate, remote locations via computers connected to phone lines." [13] It was the same year that the Cyber-SM suit was released by Stahl Stensile, which featured on the cover of FutureSex, a 1990s San Francisco–based magazine that focused on the emergence of teledildonics. [14] Some products have been shown at the Museum of Sex in New York City [15] and there was an exhibition about Stensile's Cyber-SM suit in 2016.
The responses to teledildonics have been mixed; however, the dominant concern has centered on the separation of personal intimacy and embodied presence. In the words of one early text on the subject: [16]
Indeed, pushing at the cultural-technical limits of the integrity-fragmentation contradiction can, in the short term, supercharge the disembodied body with 'sensual', transgressive ambiguity. For example, 'teledildonics', computer-simulated; sexual arousal by wearing plugged-in bodysuits, may never become widely practised, but it certainly provokes interest as a risque possibility ... [T]echno-sex contributes to hollowing out the corporeal taken-for-grantedness of which, paradoxically, it depends.
Many companies experimenting in the field have been hit with patent lawsuits. [17] [18] At the 2016 South by Southwest Festival, virtual reality entrepreneur Ela Darling asserted that patent holders were preventing the production of teledildonic technology. [19]
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has named one such patent the "stupid patent of the month". [20] That patent expired in August 2018, lowering the barrier of entry to the field. [21]
Cybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex, e-sex and, colloquially, cyber or cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more people have long distance sex via electronic video communication and other electronics connected to a computer network.
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibrating. The term sex toy can also include BDSM apparatus and sex furniture such as sex swings; however, it is not applied to items such as birth control, pornography, or condoms. Alternative terms for sex toy include adult toy and the dated euphemism marital aid. Marital aid also has a broader meaning and is applied to drugs and herbs marketed to enhance or prolong sex.
Haptic technology is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer simulation, to control virtual objects, and to enhance remote control of machines and devices (telerobotics). Haptic devices may incorporate tactile sensors that measure forces exerted by the user on the interface. The word haptic, from the Greek: ἁπτικός (haptikos), means "tactile, pertaining to the sense of touch". Simple haptic devices are common in the form of game controllers, joysticks, and steering wheels.
Virtual sex is sexual activity where two or more people gather together via some form of communications equipment to arouse each other, often by the means of transmitting sexually explicit messages. Virtual sex describes the phenomenon, no matter the communications equipment used.
A love egg is a type of egg or bullet shaped vibrator that is used for stimulation. They can also be referred to as egg vibrators or bullet vibrators, depending on their shape. They are typically weaker than larger external vibrators, such as wands, but are still popular due to their lower price and discreet nature. The primary purpose of these vibrators is targeted stimulation of internal or external erogenous zones.
Regina Lynn is an American columnist, blogger, author, and self-described sex-tech expert. Her work discusses the convergence of sex and technology, touching on subjects ranging from teledildonics and online dating to social media, video games, and cybersex.
Various accessories for the PlayStation 3 video game console have been produced by Sony and third-party companies. These include controllers, audio and video input devices like microphones, video cameras, and cables for better sound and picture quality.
A vibrator, sometimes described as a massager, is a sex toy that is used on the body to produce pleasurable sexual stimulation. There are many different shapes and models of vibrators. Most modern vibrators contain an electric-powered device which pulsates or throbs. Vibrators can be used for both solo play and partnered play by one or more people. Devices exist to be used by couples to stimulate the genitals of both partners. They can be applied to erogenous zones, such as the clitoris, vulva, vagina, penis, scrotum, or anus, for sexual stimulation, for the release of sexual frustration and to achieve orgasm. Vibrators may be recommended by sex therapists for women who have difficulty reaching orgasm through masturbation or intercourse.
OhMiBod is an American company that manufactures sex toys, based in New Hampshire, United States.
The RealTouch is a teledildonic male sexual stimulation device consisting of a sleeve fitted with "belts, jets, heating elements and other gadgetry" that fits over the penis and synchronizes sensations to a specially produced online video. It was created by AEBN in 2008. Representatives for the company demonstrated the device at the 2009 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas and it was released in November 2009.
CAM4.com, is a live streaming website featuring live performances of primarily amateur performers. Streams on CAM4 often feature nudity and sexual activity. In 2020, Wired reported that CAM4's production server did not have a password set in their ElasticSearch instance, a common security mistake, which may have exposed user information.
Sex technology, also called sex-tech or sextech, is technology and technology-driven ventures that are designed to enhance, innovate, or otherwise change human sexuality and/or the human sexual experience. Use of the term was propagated online by Cindy Gallop from MLNP and is associated with an advancement of the Digital Revolution from 2010 and its impact on society and culture. It is often used in conjunction or interchangeably with the term 'teledildonics' referring to the remote connection between Bluetooth enabled sex toys that use haptic feedback to reciprocate or mimic human, sexual interaction. However, teledildonics is far more representative of Bluetooth-enabled sex toys and captures the technological capacities of its time whereas sex-technology is rooted in more modern discourse. As such, the word sex-tech is an umbrella term used to describe multiple technologies spanning from VR porn, health and sexual wellness platform or app-based technology, Bluetooth enabled sex toys, pornography video scripting, remote sex interfaces and sex robots.
BaDoinkVR is a virtual reality porn production company founded in 2006. It is the AVN Awards 2018 VR Site of the Year award winner. Sister sites include BaDoink VIP, VRCosplayX, 18VR, RealVR, and BabeVR. BaDoinkVR is headquartered in Rochester, New York with satellite offices in Barcelona, Spain and Silicon Valley. The company was the first to drive mass consumer trial of VR adult videos by seeding the market with 20,000 free virtual reality cardboard goggles.
Virtual reality sex is a technology that allows the user to receive tactile sensations from remote participants, or fictional characters through the use of computer-controlled sex toys. Usually the user also wears a virtual reality headset so they can see and interact with the partner. The very first VR Porn experiences were filmed by an award-winning studio called VR Bangers. Two entrepreneurs decided to leave their jobs and create an adult studio that films virtual reality sex. They have opened their site vrbangers.com in 2014 and released 21 films that became the very first VR Porn experience in the world. Since then, the studio has been pushing VR technology to another level with more camera and sound innovations for virtual reality.
Lovense is a Singapore-based sex tech company specializing in the development of remotely controlled sex toys and pleasure products, as well as accompanying software.
We-Vibe is a brand of sex toys manufactured by Standard Innovation, a company founded by a Canadian couple in 2003. It is one of Canada's largest producers of adult toys. The company has sold millions of devices since the launch of its first vibrator in 2008. It has been the recipient of over twenty awards including the best couples sex toy at the Sexual Health Expo in Los Angeles.
VirtualRealPorn is a company producing virtual reality pornography that was founded in 2013. The company's headquarters is located in Zaragoza, Spain, with additional offices in Granada and Barcelona, where most of the video shoots take place. The company is known for producing the first films in virtual reality with sexual content for adults.
CamSoda is a live streaming webcam platform.
SexLikeReal (SLR) is a virtual reality pornography sharing site, VR live cam streaming, production company and VR technology developer. It was launched in 2015 with the top Studios such as VR Bangers, VR Conk, BadoinkVR, Virtualrealporn and more than one of the largest Netflix-like platforms for VR pornography, SexLikeReal has been featured by XBIZ and other major media outlets in the adult entertainment industry. According to Venture Beat, SexLikeReal is pioneering in merging adult entertainment with VR technology.
Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.
we're in for a cybersexual revolution that will make the pill a negligible historical footnote.
... Text, email, webcams, teledildonics can all be used to wind each other up to fever pitch during the working day prior to extended evening action ...
And the web is all about helping people establish emotional connections. Throw in some erotic imagery, augmented teledildonics technologies, or a bit of sexting or Skyping, and you have the makings of a rather extraordinary, albeit mediated, relationship.
At a small and private teledildonics demonstration on June 1, 2005, sex writer Violet Blue, while in San Francisco, induced two orgasms in her partner, who was riding a custom-made mega-vibrator known as a Thrillhammer at the Museum of Sex in New York City. The event included a few technical hitches: At one point the woman (shown here at a different demonstration) knocked an electrical cord out of the socket. It seems that teledildonics—remote-control vibrator sex via computer—has a long way to go.
Eventually, some suggest, "teledildonic" technology will enable them to feel sex as well as see it, though a strict patent, according to delegate Ela Darling, has prevented technological developments in this area.
