Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!uw-beaver!milton!hlab
From: buckland@ucs.ubc.ca (Tony Buckland)
Subject: Virtual Sex
Message-ID: <1991May15.051504.265@milton.u.washington.edu>
Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu (Human Int. Technology Lab)
Organization: University of B.C. Computing Services
Date: Tue, 14 May 1991 18:18:57 GMT
Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu



 A recent posting dismissed an earlier question about expectations
 for virtual-world sex rather cavalierly, with what I take to be
 the derisory term "teledildonics".  I think the question deserves
 a more considered response, for at least two reasons.  One is
 that people will pay a great deal of money for the kind of sexual
 experience they want, or can be induced to want.  The other is
 that, like games in ordinary computing, sex would be demanding
 enough to be constantly stretching the state of the art.
 
 I think the first question has to be, "what do you mean by sex?"
 If the answer is, "the computer and its sensing and feedback
 devices have to behave convincingly like a sexual partner in at
 least all tactile senses," I agree that it's an awfully long
 way off; you'd have to end up with the equivalent of a very
 advanced Audioanimatronic figure including yielding fleshlike
 covering, warmth, and moisture.  That's big bucks for just
 I/O, without considering the computing.
 
 But a more reasonable answer might be, "the computer and its
 sensing and feedback devices have to provide a good orgasm."
 The sex toy trade already has reasonable artificial genitalia,
 and devices, vibratory usually, for inducing pleasure in
 erogenous zones.  These are mass-produced and cheap.  What is
 missing that a computer could provide is sensing of the state
 of arousal of the user, together with appropriate fine control
 of the devices to respond to that state.  Without this, which
 is provided in partner sex by the attention and imagination of
 the partner, or in solitary sex by constant control by the
 user, the user can't relax and let things happen.  The virtual
 reality aspect to add is creation of a scene to supplement
 control of the stimulators with images, presumably of an ideal
 partner, and possibly of very limited simulation of tactile
 contact (resistance to the hands corresponding to key
 anatomical features, say).  Sound would be nice, too.



[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  It's said that when what you do (or talk about)
becomes cliche', you've arrived.  I appreciate Tony Buckland's
finally posting the inevitable speculation on virtual sex, or
"teledildonics," to the newsgroup.  On the other hand, this topic
has pretty much been talked to death on both alt.cyberspace and
The WELL's    vr    conference, so unless the Group Mind thinks
otherwise, I suggest we move on to more tangible manifestations of
our work.

[However, I remain open to comments on sensuality as a general issue
for the design of virtual worlds.  Shall we, or shall we not?  Your
comments are welcome. -- Bob Jacobson]