Australian engineers from the University of Wollongong are working on solving one of the most important questions for humanity: why in a condom “feels wrong” and how to fix it. By using the modern material hydrogel, they hope not only to get rid of discomfort, but even to achieve an effect in which using the hydrogel will be more pleasant than working with au naturel. To accurately determine the difference in sensations, scientists process the results of reading the electromagnetic brain waves of the subjects. The first latex condoms were introduced 100 years ago, just after latex was invented in 1920. Since then, they have undergone little change, although scientific progress has made significant progress in other areas. Despite the obvious positive effect in planning fertility and preventing the spread of disease, they have ardent opponents who argue about the loss of pleasure and the not-so-pleasant sensations of latex.

Australians have decided to take on a noble mission to improve the sex life of mankind. Hydrogel is one of the modern flexible materials that can be given unique properties. Some types of hydrogels feel comparable to human tissue; they are used, in particular, in vascular and even eye prosthetics . Hydrogels allow the inclusion of various medications that can fight diseases. There are also hydrogels that are stronger and thinner than latex. Wollongong engineers successfully competed in the Next Generation Condom competition in early 2015 with a grant from the Gates family. Of course, first of all, the patrons took care of the countries of Africa and Southeast Asia, and the reduction of diseases and unwanted pregnancies in these regions. But also in the so-called. “Developed countries” these problems also exist. For example, among these countries, the United States has the largest number of unwanted pregnancies and HIV transmission . To improve the accuracy of the results of experiments in which scientists are experimenting with different versions of hydrogels, they decided not to rely on simple opinion polls, but to use the technology of compiling electroencephalograms. To do this, they turned to specialists from Swinburne University of Technology for help.

In experiments, subjects touch (no, not yet, only with their hands) various materials, and scientists process the captured EEGs to determine pure, subconscious responses to tactile sensations.

“EEG allows us to measure the subconscious reaction of the brain to material, which occurs even before the subject makes a conscious decision whether he likes the material or not,” explains Joseph Ciorciari, lead researcher on the study. “As a result, we eliminate any prejudice and existing predispositions from the test results.”