Imagine all those positions you have fantasized about while masturbating to the gentle hum of your favorite toy and how you wished you had free hands to roam around your body and do more. Well now you are no longer restricted and imagination is the limits. Put down your vibrator and meet your new partner: the sex machine.

Not as discreet as a vibrator, a sex machine can appear as simple as a dildo attached to a drill, a large mechanical piece the size of a coffee table or even your living room furniture. This new wave of automated erotic stimulators has given a new meaning to do it yourself projects. People can easily create their own sex machine as simply as taking a cordless drill, ridding it of the obviously dangerous parts and turning your favorite toy into your very own Drilldo. Some of the simpler machines consist of an exercise ball and attached a dildo to it, taking your daily workout to pleasurable heights.

Safety can be an issue with these do-it-yourself sex toys. Many creative and handy individuals would not mind tackling such a project but as with any home improvement projects, precautions must be taken. The Drilldo may seem like an interesting little labor of love but the thought of being penetrated at the rate screws are put into a wall may make some cringe. Literally being screwed at anywhere around 1400 rpm (speeds and power vary based on drill and if it is professionally made) can damage sensitive vaginal and rectal tissues if used improperly. The Drilldo is only a stepping stone; the machines get bigger and more elaborate.

Not all the machines look like interesting versions of your everyday appliances and exercise equipment; some are larger, more elaborate and appear as threatening as the table at the gynecologist’s office (some are even made out of gynecologist’s tables). Some models are considered the classic sex machines (because they are technologically outdated compared to the newer models, which are Bluetooth enabled) are original and simple designs made for any position, for example the Airstorm that paved the way for the more advanced machines. More elaborate than the Drilldo, the Airstorm is hands-free and height adjustable so you can be taken from any direction and position you desire. It can also go up to speeds of 220 strokes per minute, which is beyond the number of strokes you would receive from your human partner.

The newer machines go beyond the average sex machine and come with remote controls and computer software taking cyber sex to a completely new level. Teledildonics, are machines that simulate sex and control gratification over the internet from a computer anywhere in the world. The Thrillhammer is credited as the first teledildonic sex machine and controls more than how you have sex with your partner. If you are not using the machine in the same room and would like to watch your hard work, you can control camera angles and zoom in wherever you would like turning cyber sex into an interactive porno. Being able to control how someone is penetrated and at what speeds, can bring some life to cyber sex but with the numerous cyber sex addicts and swingers this can slowly phase out intimacy.

Slowly becoming a dirty word in society, intimacy is being phased out by the computer screen where most people no longer make phone calls but instead correspond via email and text, now our sex toys are substituting for partners in ways they never have before. With cyber sex, people can have multiple partners in masturbation but with automated erotic stimulators going high-tech, it becomes more than just getting off in front of your computer screen. When a person is controlling movement as they would if they were having sex with you it becomes a combination of mutual masturbation, sexual intercourse and watching a pornographic movie all without having to leave your computer.

The Thrillhammer has come a long way from the Sybian sex machine. The Sybian looks like a saddle with a dildo attached to it, but as all sex machines, it is more than the eye can see. It takes different attachments to fit your comfort and desire and is controlled via a controller attached to the machine. At a weight of 22 pounds, 10 inches high and 13.25 inches wide, the Sybian is easier to hide away than other sex machines such as the Thrillhammer which is the size of a recliner and weighs much more than one.

Some sex machines are created to encourage intimacy, such as the one created by John Travern who requires a marriage license to purchase one of his machines. His original concept was to help his marriage not alienate sex in the relationship. Now, he uses his invention to help marriages and couples that are having trouble in the bedroom. His attempt to bring back the pleasure and intimacy to sex within struggling relationships defied the stereotype people have for sex toys and machines. People’s reasons for creating sex machines have even changed Timothy Archibald’s views.

Creator of the book Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews, Archibald approached the subject through the eye of his camera, showing inventors in their garage and other rooms next to their labors of love appearing as any other inventor would look. He showed that people creating these machines are not perverts hiding away but everyday people who had a streak of creativity and were looking for something more in their sex life.

When deciding to purchase a sex machine you have to do some research as to what will be best for you, what kind of speeds, strokes and positions you are looking to enjoy and then you have to ask yourself, “How much do I want to spend on a sex machine?” If you’re one of the people who was willing to shell out over $100 for the I-vibe Rabbit, you may consider some of the machines that are around the same price and do more than just twist and turn but that is a decision you have to look into along with the return policy. Returning sex toys is like returning panties, most people will not take them back but some places are willing to consider it if there is a manufacturer’s defect.

With all sex toys, the attachments should be washed thoroughly before use and if you are sharing the toys condoms should be used. Nobody wants to play with a previously used sex toy or they would be for sale on eBay described as ‘slightly used’ or refurbished sex machines would be on sale for half off. If you have a partner, they should also be involved in the purchase making decision because some partner’s have difficulties with their lover’s toys and it makes them feel inadequate. Something as elaborate as a sex machine may make the most confident lover feel invalid and even replaced, it is always good to incorporate your lover and show him or her that even a sex machine can be fun and erotic for both partners.

As technology advances so is the subculture of automated erotic devices. Some may secretly fear human relationships are being phased out by mechanics in a society where you no longer need to have sexual intercourse to procreate and you can give yourself an orgasm. Views will always vary as to the positive and negative aspects of technological advances. As the debates go on, release some tension, have your orgasm and do not forget there is nothing discrete about these machines, from size to sound, the next time you think your vibrator is loud; remember that some motors on sex machines are so loud that they can shake your house. Then again, you could cause your own house to shake without a sex machine if you really wanted to.