If technology is everywhere, why would sex be an exception?
A swarm of apps, such as Tinder, Happn, Grindr or online dating sites, as eHarmony flank the road of technology marching into dating. By now, even genetics is invited into romantic relations to help in figuring out whom we should spend the rest of our lives together. While the revolution of finding a romantic partner through electronic devices has played out in front of our eyes, the impact of technology on the bedroom has not been so upfront. But if technology permeates the entire terrain of human relations, why would sex and sexuality be an exception?
As art and literature have always a leap forward in imagining how our future would look like, some movies already projected what turn our brave, new sexual world would take. Jude Law portrayed a male prostitute robot programmed to mimic love in A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. In Spike Jonze’s beautiful love story, Her, Joaquin Phoenix as the main protagonist had virtual sex with an A.I. operating system. In Ex Machina (2015), Alicia Vikander’s character, a robot able to interpret and respond to feelings, manipulated people in its environment.
From the attempts to transmit touches and feelings via long-distance, through virtual reality being ready to take over the porn industry until the emergence of technosexuals living with life-sized dolls, there is a clear trend pointing towards a new cohabitation of sexuality and technology. And at the dawn of a new sexual revolution – with many people already freaked out by the changes, it’s time to face where technology may take the most intimate area of our lives.
Telepresence through Hug Shirts
I believe no one will be surprised that the Statistics Brain Institute found 39 percent of American teens (13-19) and 59 percent of young adults (20-26) have been using their phones for sexting. But what if these devices would not only transmit images and sounds but also touches and smell?
Companies are working on printing out odors which in the future might lead to celebrities selling their natural scent for a greater pleasure of their fans. A pinch of Jennifer Lawrence or Ryan Gosling anyone? Do you think it is already overstretched? What about this? There is a device called Hug Shirt which allows people to send hugs over distance – just like a text message. It can feel the strength, duration, and location of the touch, skin warmth, and the heart rate of the sender.
The actuators then recreate the same touch sensation on the shirt worn by the distant loved. Although I still cannot decide whether the Kiss Transmission device is real or just a joke, a 2011 video shows how a French kiss can be sent wirelessly to loved ones. Alternatively, the developer says that celebrity kisses could be purchased and shared by users.
,
Source: MF+