Rubbot is a design project started, in early 2006, by a group of independent product designers based in San Francisco. The goal of the project is to create the best male sex toy possible, by empowering and utilizing an active on-line community to contribute to the design by participating in polls and discussions on the Rubbot website.
Contents
Traditional product development cycles acquire user feedback at junctures where new insights are often difficult to incorporate. For example, it can be too early in cycle where participants in focus groups are frequently required to formulate opinions based on two dimensional drawings and marketing descriptions. Or conversely, it can be too late in the cycle where it is impractical to implement major changes into the design. The Rubbot project is a case study in integrating continuous input from potential users.
Product
The parameters of Rubbot, as a product, are that it is attractive, affordable, compact, hands-free and reliable. Essentially, the goal is to combine high design with strong functionality.
Technology
In order to generate the hands-free feature, a crankshaft with weights moving in a reciprocating motion move the device back and forth. This has been dubbed the "inch worm concept" and the developers have a patent pending on the design.
Reviews and Criticism
Rubbot is described as "the most discreet male sex toy of the bunch" in Gizmodo's top 10 gadgets for "Global Orgasm 2007".
An article on Fleshbot.com states, "As far as we're concerned, a male sex toy we don't have to use one of our hands to fiddle with couldn't come a minute too soon".
Teledildonics experts at Slashdong recognize the community design effort and write, "Right now, they're looking for all sorts of ideas. Would you use it? What would you have control it?".
The French website, Sexactu, reviews the hands-free inch worm concept and asks, "is this the future of the masturbation?".