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CES 2019 revokes award to robotic sex toy

The company Lora DiCarlo designed a robotic sex toy called Osé, especially designed for the female audience: the device was selected to be awarded with the 2019 CES awards for innovation in the category of robotics and drone products, to be awarded at CES. However, the organizers of the event held in Las Vegas, USA, revoked the award.

And not only that: the personal massager was also vetoed to be exhibited during the event, so the team responsible for the development of the object claims that it is a gender issue.

The device

The Osé is the first device developed by Lora DiCarlo: its designers were a team of mostly female engineers. In fact, the technology it uses is micro-robotic and mimics the sensations of a mouth, tongue, fingers and other human limbs.

The device is based on sophisticated technology that allows it a certain degree of autonomy. Once inserted, it works by itself: the micro-robotics that compose it allows it to imitate different actions as the user wishes. The experience can also be customized through the smartphone.

The veto

According to Lora Haddock, founder and executive director of Lora DiCarlo, the team was delighted to receive the award letter last October. The surprise came twenty days later, when we were notified that the award had been revoked.

When asked why the action was taken, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), responsible for the CES show, indicated that the product falls within what they consider to be “immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with the image of the CTA”. The CTA disqualified the Osé, while indicating that it should not have been accepted, as it does not fit into any of the existing product categories.

However, according to Haddock, the device falls into the category of robotics and drones, as it was designed in collaboration with Oregon State University, which has a top-quality robotics laboratory, considered one of the best in the region.

Moreover, Haddock assured that this is a veto only because the possibilities of female sexuality are explored. “You allow men’s sexuality to be explicit with a literal sex robot in the form of a woman of unrealistic proportions,” referring to another device presented at the fair. “You can’t pretend to be unbiased if you allow a sex robot for men, but not a vagina-centered robotic massager for orgasm,” he sentenced.

Osé is a clear example of how robotics and technology can improve people’s sex lives. But it is also a sex toy intended for female audiences, so it is likely to be subject to somewhat harsher scrutiny and also susceptible to reactions such as the CTA’s ruling.

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