Update #2 on the sex toy you can feel

A while ago, I had an idea on how to create a strapon that you can actually feel, as though it were part of your body. The idea went crazy, a lot of people expressed overwhelming support, so I started a company and commissioned an engineering firm to do a design proposal.

In the meantime, I’ve also been working on the idea independently of the engineering firm, so last week I put on my Mad Scientist hat1 and built a simple proof of concept.

Then I went to my friend Emily and said “hey, I have this prototype of a computerized strapon with sensors and a wearable computer and stuff, do you want to help me test it?”

“Sure!” she said, because my friends rock. (I love my life.)

So two days ago, I showed up at her house bearing the crude prototype. “Okay,” I said when we were safely in her bedroom, “this bit goes here, and that bit goes up in front like so…”

There were some design flaws in the first version–the wires leading from the computer to the electrode weren’t quiiiiiite long enough, so she ended up doing this one-legged dance trying to put it on. When it was all powered up and running (which looked quite odd–the sensors mounted to the big purple dildo all have little red lights that come on to show the sensor is working, so the overall effect looked a bit like a prop from a 70s science fiction porn flick), we spent some time adjusting the signal generator and making sure everything was working, and then got to it. I touched the sensors and had her describe what she felt. At one point, as I knelt in front of her stroking her cock, it suddenly struck me exactly what I was doing. “Man,” I said, looking up at her, “this is really obscene.”

“But Franklin,” I hear you ask, “how did it work?

Emily wrote a really good writeup from her perspective on her blog, appropriately titled “Brains, Bunnies and Boners.” Here’s an excerpt:

I stood sporting a sizable electrode-covered, purple erection as this man knelt before me stroking the blinking phallus. Looking dreamily into space, I concentrated on this new sensation and how to communicate it. He asked questions that had nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with programming or nerve density. It crossed my mind briefly that this was a strange situation. Covered in wires, half naked in front of a man I’m not intimately connected to, waxing poetically about the sensation of him passively stimulating my g-spot. Meanwhile he educates me on the corresponding connections between penis and vagina, sensitivity wise. […]

I see him touching the wirey and weird strap on, the sensation of that cock hitting my pubic bone becoming enough to fully trick my mind. The arousal of the plug flitting electrical currents over my internal nerves quickly translates into a thought of, “wow if he keeps doing that I’m going to get a hard on during science and that will be embarrassing.” Except logically I know I already have a hard on. A big purple one that he brought along for me to borrow. My brain has already made the adjustment in the five minutes we’ve been testing this to believing in the new genitals.

So the answer is it works really, really well. Far better than I expected, given how primitive the prototype was. Within minutes, it seemed her brain had internalized the dildo as part of her body; she said that touching the dildo felt like touching her. Which was amazing. I’d expected just to validate that the device could be made to work; I didn’t expect it to work that well.

I am actively pursuing making this device a reality. We’re currently enrolled in a venture accelerator program in Vancouver and we’re doing market research to validate the market for this device. Interested in being interviewed as part of that market research! Hit me up in email! franklin (at) franklinveaux (dot) com.

1 By which I mean my Mad Engineering hat. Well, technically, my Mad Engineering Magnifiers for Precision Soldering.

Want to keep up with developments? Here’s a handy list of blog posts about it:
First post
Update 1
Update 2
Update 3

74 thoughts on “Update #2 on the sex toy you can feel

  1. Only you!

    “At one point, as I knelt in front of her stroking her cock, it suddenly struck me exactly what I was doing. “Man,” I said, looking up at her, “this is really obscene.””

    LOL! Only you, Franklin, could get as far as as stroking a woman’s cock before realising it might possibly be a little bit kinky! 🙂

  2. Only you!

    “At one point, as I knelt in front of her stroking her cock, it suddenly struck me exactly what I was doing. “Man,” I said, looking up at her, “this is really obscene.””

    LOL! Only you, Franklin, could get as far as as stroking a woman’s cock before realising it might possibly be a little bit kinky! 🙂

  3. Add me to the list of people that would really love to get one of these for their partner who lacks an organic cock! I know they’d love it and so would I.

    Any even rough estimation of the production details? Like how long before these would be available and what sort of price range?

  4. Add me to the list of people that would really love to get one of these for their partner who lacks an organic cock! I know they’d love it and so would I.

    Any even rough estimation of the production details? Like how long before these would be available and what sort of price range?

  5. As a transman, I’m VERY interested in this venture… To be able to have intimate relations with a partner where it actually feels like I have a functional penis would be amazing.

    And I’m fairly certain others like me would agree!

  6. As a transman, I’m VERY interested in this venture… To be able to have intimate relations with a partner where it actually feels like I have a functional penis would be amazing.

    And I’m fairly certain others like me would agree!

  7. Penetrative?

    Am I reading correctly that one part of this prototype has to be inserted inside the wearer to work properly? What about those of us who don’t desire that as a means to phallic enhancement?

    • Re: Penetrative?

      We’re aware of the need for a non-insertable alternative, but unfortunately won’t be ready to address the design challenges involved in making one until after the first-gen (insertable) product is out.

  8. Penetrative?

    Am I reading correctly that one part of this prototype has to be inserted inside the wearer to work properly? What about those of us who don’t desire that as a means to phallic enhancement?

  9. Re: Penetrative?

    We’re aware of the need for a non-insertable alternative, but unfortunately won’t be ready to address the design challenges involved in making one until after the first-gen (insertable) product is out.

  10. On the market?

    Are there plans to put this on the market and if so, what is the projected time frame? If not, would you make the specs of the prototype available to an individual for personal use?

  11. On the market?

    Are there plans to put this on the market and if so, what is the projected time frame? If not, would you make the specs of the prototype available to an individual for personal use?

  12. Re: On the market?

    We are currently trying to get a commercial version to market. Doing so will require investment, and we’re looking for investors. We don’t have a timetable yet.

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