The online sex product shopping company British Condoms announced this Friday that they hope to release the first “smart condom” in 2017. It is called the i.Con and consists in a wearable ring that goes in the condom and that can keep track of many things regarding sex and its aggregates.
This brand new i.Con is still in the final stages of the testing process, and according to the company, they hope to release the product for the general public no later than this year. According to the official description given by British Condoms, this ring is designed to be placed on a condom, and it can be used many times. Also, the product is “extremely comfortable, water resistant and lightweight.”
The fact that it is water resistant is positive since this is a device that should constantly be washed. Each product is made with synthetic rubber and contains a waterproof carbon fiber unit.
This new product is part of the new trend of the “wearable” technology, which allows the link between a piece of hardware and an online mobile app designed especially for the product.
According to the company, this ring uses nanochip technology, which are tiny sensors located on the device. This technology is what makes possible registering all the particular data concerning sex-related information.
i.Con: What can it do?
The British Condoms company announced the upcoming release of the product by assuring that this is a device that has never been seen by the public, since consists on a high tech sex wearable.
“Have you ever wondered how many calories you’re burning during intercourse?” the company asks in the product’s description. “How many thrusts? The speed of your thrusts? The duration of your sessions? Frequency? How many different positions do you use in the period of a week, month or year? Ever wondered how you stack up to other people from around the world? Welcome to the future of wearable technology in the bedroom.”
All of those questions can be answered when using the i.Con. The device can measure the number of calories burned during a sex encounter (which according to a recent study from the University of Montreal are about 100 calories). Also, it can measure the number, speed and average velocity of the user’s thrusts, and the frequency and duration of the sex sessions.
Also, it can measure the number, speed and average velocity of the user’s thrusts, and the frequency and duration of the sex sessions.
The i.Con also presents some functions that are currently in Beta testing like recording different positions practiced during the sex session, the average skin temperature of the user and the registered girth.
STIs detection and other features
According to Denisse Moreno, a specialized reporter at Medical Daily, the developers of the product have stated that this condom ring will have the possibility to detect sexually transmitted diseases at the moment of the intercourse. The device has what is called an “antibodies filter” which can indicate the presence of either proteins or antigens that are found in STIs.
However, there are many questions regarding this feature. Has this mechanism been scientifically tested? How many are the possibilities of a “false positive”? Can a “smart” condom really be that smart?
Among the physical specs of the product, there is the fact that it comes in only one size and has a “band adjustable feature,” for the device be wearable for all users. The i.Con will have a micro-USB charging port, and it will provide over 6 hours of “live usage.” The user will also be able to connect the device to its mobile phone through a Bluetooth feature.
Many people have wondered how all these features could enter into a tiny ring to be put on a condom, given the fact that the company has not released any official pictures of the device. However, to the company, this release represents a “game changer.”
“We knew we were on the cusp of creating something special with i.Con, and bringing a new meaning to wearable tech,” said Aaron Slater, spokesperson for the Nottingham-based British Condoms UK.
According to the company, users should not be worried about the privacy of their personal information. The official description reads that all the data gathered will be completely anonymous, and users will have the opportunity to share their data with friends and “indeed the world.” There is a direct relation between the actual possibility of the global sharing of the information and the number of people that uses the device.
This product presented as “the future of wearable technology in the bedroom,” allegedly has received almost 100,000 requests, according to British Condoms. This product can be pre-ordered since July of last year, and it can be bought at $75 ( £59,00). The i.Con also will have a one-year warranty.
Source: CNET