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Durex classes up the wearable tech space with “Fundawear”

Screen Shot 2013-04-19 at 12.58.07 PMMove over, Skype – there’s a new Internet-based tool to keep couples connected despite great distances. And unlike Skype, this new tool is … how should we put this … multidimensional? Durex Australia recently debuted its “Fundawear experiment,” a set of smartphone-controlled vibrating underwear that couples can wear to arouse each other remotely.

Now, vibrating underwear isn’t exactly new, but Durex took its Fundawear to the next level by enlisting experts to create a much higher-tech version than your average novelty gift. These suckers have custom circuit boards, space-age materials, and the guts similar to the stuff that makes your phone vibrate when you get a text message. Ben Moir, the project’s tech director, said the team focused on “transferring touch across vast distances,” and described how they decided to use haptic feedback as the sensors in the underwear. They developed a smartphone app that lets you indicate where you want the other person to feel a sensation, and the person on the receiving end will also have this app on their phone.

Here’s the official video, which is borderline NSFW if your work doesn’t like you to watch commercials about people having gadget-assisted Skype sex:


So it appears Durex has made strides in the long distance ardor department, although YouTube commenters made (shockingly) some valid points about the long-term viability of these garments. Screen Shot 2013-04-19 at 1.20.14 PMScreen Shot 2013-04-19 at 1.20.05 PM

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Kate Knibbs
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