Hack My Vagina: Re-Engineering The LELO Vibrator To work With Sonar

Hack My Vagina: Re-Engineering The LELO Vibrator To work With Sonar

By Ksenia Sobchak

Beth, computer wizard and technically advanced engineering Jedi, turned her love of gadgets on its head when she reverse-engineered her LELO vibrator in a post famously titled Hack My Vagina.

She was determined to find or make a vibrator that listens to your body. To me, Beth said, a good sex toy helps form feedback loops. It doesn't get in the way. A good toy gives you simple ways of exchanging signals with a partner or with your own body. It acts as a conduit. A good sex toy is analog.

That is - a good sex toy should enhance your love-making, not hinder it. You shouldn't feel like you're trying to program your VCR.

In her search for the ultimate toy, she settled on LELO's Lyla Vibe. It was exactly what she wanted - strong, powerful, sexy and waterproof, but the remote left more than a little to be desired. And so, she set about reverse-engineering the remote: taking it apart bit by bit, she figured out how it works and came up with a few tricks to make it better. The result? She installed a sonar controller that's entirely hands-free.

Basically, it detects movement and intensity of movement which then translates into buzzing vibrations in the LELO Lyla. Come closer and Lyla speeds up. Move slowly over, and Lyla gradually buzzes with increased vigour. Here's a video demonstration:

I've already been thinking about the vast array of other sensing technologies that may be applicable for sex toys that support your own feedback loops instead of obstructing them, Beth admits as she imagines the possibilities. What if you could use a Kinect camera to remotely detect even your body's subtler rhythms? Imagine using a phase-locked loop to not just synchronize with your motion, but predict it.

Now that's a clever sex toy we'd all love to see!