The past year has seen the world enjoy some very strange gadgets; from teenagers zooming around on hoverboards to boardroom executives talking to one another through their smart glasses; itâs fair to say weâre living in an interesting age.
Fortunately for those of us interested in sex weâre well looked after as well – with sex robots, wearable vibrators and even fitness trackers.
Hereâs what sex technology is on offer now and what is yet to come!
Virtual Reality
Though we havenât quite reached the level of Tom Cruise interrupting a hologram sex fantasy in Minority Report, virtual reality headsets have taken us one step closer.
The idea of âVirtual Realityâ is that by wearing a headset that uses a screen to replace your field of vision you can be transported all over the world into endless scenarios.
Though this journey initially started with gaming, roller coasters and flight simulators, it was soon used for more adult destinations, such as high-definition sex scenarios with real pornstars.
While this all may seem a bit of a fad to the average porn user – because really the ÂŁ400+ cost of a headset is a big turn off – this month the manufacturer Virtuadolls, marketing a male masturbator games controller, had to halt their productâs funding campaign after it was overrun by an unprecedented demand (it has since been restored currently with over ÂŁ38,000 worth of investment).
Lets just say for now this technology is still fairly new and probably not worth your money, unless you have a real interest in gaming as well as sex, but next year it could all be very real!
Teledildonics
Teledildonics have been with us for a few years, though the term may well be new to you, because it hasnât really reached teatime conversation yet.
With wireless technology and some impressive designs, sex toys are now able to work in conversation with one another.
Teledildonics allow you and your partner to remotely communicate with your genitals, through a sex toy, simulating the âfeelâ of intercourse with huge range capabilities, helping to solve a long-distance relationship problem.
Recent innovations can be found in pairs such as the âOnyx and Pearl Coupleâ by pioneering company Kiiroo who have worked with Fleshlight to create a high-tech vibrator and masturbator.
The Pearl vibrator senses up and down movements and the Onyx masturbator uses rings which contract in response to the Pearlâs motion.
This process can be heightened with video chat and brings a new level of sensory arousal to phone sex.
Though teledildonics is an exciting field it is still suffering from the high costs associated with new tech and this Kiiroo pair will set you back just over ÂŁ250.
But hopefully in a few years time we will all be contacting one another in some very interesting ways.
Wearable Sex Tech
Previous years have really pushed wearable technology to the limits, with watches, glasses and fitness trackers taking us closer than ever before to becoming sophisticated cyborgs, cue the âHello Touch Xâ a shocking fingertip vibrator glove.
The Touch X has been hailed as a great idea that unfortunately lacked the build quality to carry it through. The idea was that a small power pack linked to two small shock pads which sit on the fingers allowing you to stimulate yourself or your partner, either through gentle vibrations or shock play, though it seems it was either shocking or shockingly broken, but still a fun idea.
Next we have innovations which are wearable for one area in particular. Earlyier years brought us the âLittle Roosterâ vibrator alarm clock, which allowed you to wake up to pulsating pants.
This time itâs all about staying connected and what better way than to connect with your body than through your phone!
The âBlue Motion NEXâ by OhMiBod is a remote controlled vibrator which rests gently against the vulva and can be controlled through various technologies, including your phone to give you a secretive pleasure throughout the day. This kind of wireless technology can be controlled by your phone or your partners and can even synced to music for an interesting power playlist.
What makes this product an exciting new piece of technology is that it is discreet and designed for uncompromising pleasure, though sadly still with a ÂŁ90 price tag.
Lastly, thereâs also wearable technology for men, however none of it is quite as interesting as the Bondara Sexfit – a cockring made to track your sexual prowess and calories burned.
Though this was announced in 2014, last year it was under testing and hopefully we can look forward to a new kind of fitness tracker sometime in 2016.
So keep an eye out and we could all be sexercising soon.
Hands Free
Though weâve been able to enjoy hands-free vibrators for a long time, male masturbation has lagged behind other sexual pursuits in the adult toy industry, with manual stimulation remaining the best method for pleasure.
Fortunately that looks soon to change with the release of the âPiuâ made by IMTOY which is a comprehensive masturbator that features over 30 vibration settings.
The product unfortunately bears a luxury price tag at ÂŁ140, but does show that a mechanical toy doesnât need to involve a drill mechanism and a frame.
Possibly the most exciting hands-free innovation in sex toys this year is the âCresendoâ by Mystery Vibe, described as the worldâs first shape-shifting sex toy.
It bends to the contours of your body with unique shape patterns, creating waves in an industry that is only known to flex.
It harbours multiple vibrating areas and can be controlled by your phone to help you personalise your pleasure.
The vibrator is costed at just over ÂŁ110 and can be preordered.
Unlike other products this looks genuinely stunning and will hopefully revolutionise the adult toy market, so consider it if your budget can twist, bend and stretch to it.
Round Up
Whatâs clear is that the future for sex technology and technology alike is going to be an exciting one – itâs expanding into areas that a decade ago we wouldnât have believed possible and that is something to really get excited about!