NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Robert Religa had seen enough porn to know that the fucking machines that existed weren't always the prettiest things to look at.
"I knew I could design something that looked much more feminine, something that could glide across the floor," said iCrystalBot creator Religa, who had spent 30 years as a designer and had designed robots for the special effects industry and undersea robots for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Though he kept the idea of designing a new machine in the back of his head for a number of years, it wasn't until he was attending a convention in Anaheim that inspiration really hit him.
"An artist had a piece on display there, and it was a polyurethane orchid that was hanging on the wall," Religa said. "The piece was clear, but had this iridescent paper behind it, and I saw it and knew that was what I needed."
Religa approached the artist with his idea about a new kind of sex toy, and the two got together and came up with the design for the iCrystalBot. The machine features the base and motor of a vacuum robot and a polyurethane sculpture resembling a manta ray and an orchid on the top, which is lit from underneath and is colored with orange, red, magenta, blue, and turquoise hues.
The iCrystalBot weighs roughly 15 pounds, and can be controlled via the Internet with a special code, or by a hand-held controller. Crystal-like rods atop the sculpture hold in place a dildo, which can be swapped out for others through a quick-release mechanism. The robot can be manually controlled to move back and forth, turn in circles, or glide across a hard surface. Pre-programmed movements allow a single user to relax and enjoy the rhythmic thrusts.
Priced at $15,000, Religa noted that the iCrystalBot is not just a new sex toy, but also a work of art.
"Each one is unique, signed, numbered, and certified," he said. "A mold is created for the sculpture, and after it's used 10 times, that mold is destroyed and a new one created."
Each piece is customizable, he added, by choosing what colors are used to enhance the piece.
Religa said he is introducing the iCrystalBot to the adult entertainment industry, and would like to see it used by a studio or webcam company.
"A studio could use it in a movie, or a webcam girl could auction off the chance for a fan to control the machine with her in a session," he said.
To schedule a demonstration of the iCrystalBot, or for more information, contact Religa at (415) 644-0099 or [email protected], or visit iCrystalBot.com.
