Sex is great. Condoms, on the other hand, aren’t so great (I’m talking pleasure-wise). Since the invention of the contraceptive, the condom has more or less been the same, sensory-numbing device that makes sex much worse than it can be. However, times-are-a-changing, and with that comes the latest (or first serious) venture in the world of the high-tech, twenty-first century condom you can use to electrify your sex life. Say hello to the “Electric Eel”.
I know, it looks terrifying – but this electrode-riddled condom actually has real science behind it, and isn’t some contemporary torture device. Here’s why:
About a year ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced its quest to aid in the development of the condom of the future; essentially, a condom that doesn’t restrict any pleasure during sex. The hope is that a condom will be developed that people actually enjoy using, so that protected sex will occur more frequently.
The Electric Eel is the result. Developed by Firaz Peer and Andrew Quitmeyer, two PhD students from Georgia Tech, the idea is that slight electrical impulses sent from electrodes woven into the condom will intensify sexual stimulation. Various prototypes of the Electric Eel have been tested so far, with positive results. The picture above shows the first model, with the electrodes simply woven into a regular condom; however, a second prototype takes the form of less-disposable sleeve. It is explained that the sleeve, which is made out of a cloth-like material, can be hooked up to a controller that has the ability to change the electrical output in real-time to account for stimuli, such as how quickly the couple is breathing. Here is a picture of it wrapped around a cucumber:
At the moment, Peer and Quitmeyer are funding the open-source, digital condom through the popular crowd-sourcing platform Indiegogo, though funds at the moment remain minimal.
The Electric Eel’s looks may deter more than a few users; however, it is still another step toward the fabled “enjoyable condom” that undeniably occupies our dreams each night and hopefully will, someday, electrify your sex life. Check out the developers’ promotional video below for more images and information.
Check out more strange ways technology is used in sex here.
