Teledildonics

Teledildonics was a term introduced, originally as a 1980ss thought experiment, by Ted Nelson, the inventor of hypertext. Teledildonics is “telepresence” sex in a virtual reality context, with partners sharing sensations beyond vision and hearing.

The initial proposal conceived of something like a bodysuit lined with tiny pressure receptors, thermometers, heat generators, and pressure actuators. It would be used with 3D virtual reality goggles and stereo headphones. At the time, computing and networking technology was simply not up to handle all those sensors and actuators in real time. Among telepresence and VR researchers, however, teledildonics is often discussed as a reference for what their creations can do.

Nick von Hoffman, an irreverent journalist (Washington Post) and journalism professor at American University, while a commissioner on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, said “no technology can be considered mature unless it has been used to transmit pornography.”

Other applications would need fine touch, temperature sensing, and other details, such as remote (i.e., telemedicine) physical examination.