Freaky, fleshy concept toy that you can pierce
Wired Gadget Lab calls the "Epidermits" toy from Karten Design the "scariest toy concept ever," and they make a great case for it! I couldn't find the actual toy on Karten's site, because, like so many "designers," they've designed and unnavigable unlinkable mess of Flash instead of a real website.
Scariest Toy Concept Ever: The Epidermits Thing
A human-like tissue organism covers the robotic thing, which also runs on fuel cells for energy. In theory, you are supposed to be able to program it to move around and act as your kid’s nightmarish companion. But that's not all: "They require minimal maintenance, can be stored in state of forced hibernation in standard refrigerators, and are customizable with different body, skin and hair selections and through tanning, tattooing and piercing."
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That is the yuckiest looking sex toy I've ever seen.
Christmas morning:
"...like so many "designers," they've designed an unnavigable unlinkable mess of Flash instead of a real website."
Thank You!
Just to clarify, it is intended to be nightmarish.
From the unlinkable flash mess:
...like so many "designers," they've designed an unnavigable unlinkable mess of Flash instead of a real website
Thats a touch harsh don't you think?.. took me about 4 clicks to find it, the navigation seemed pretty straightforward to me... didn't stop the site being extremely ugly of course.
To be fair to Cory, I think that is the worst hierarchical menu system I've ever seen. The site definitely espouses aesthetics over usability, to the point of serious irritation.
Also, their "full baby pacifier" concept is ripped straight from Donnie Darko...
Still, the epidermits is pretty ugly, although I'm sure, if it actually came to exist, it would find use in the sex industry...
After I saw that the design was one of their "Cautionary Visions" I checked out the website. After you hit up their site, click on the SKD tab on the left, then Projects, then Concept Projects, then Cautionary Visions. You'll run right into the Epidermits. So creepily "Oryx and Crake," even if it is an art project. That said, the Digital Artist System, another of their concept projects, blows my mind with its real-world possibilities.
Beanolini "Just to clarify, it is intended to be nightmarish."
So, my cold sweat and nausea are justified.
It is poorly designed, but to get to the toy on the designers website, go to:
http://www.kartendesign.com/
1. Click paradigm shift
2. Click cautionary visions
3. Click Epidermits
1. Click paradigm shift
2. Click cautionary visions
3. Click Epidermits
Now, that makes PERFECT sense...
I'm getting my Marlboro kid one for Christmas.
If anyone's familiar with the "Unnovations" book by Charlie Brooker, this looks exactly like the KissMammal 2003. The parallels do disturb me somewhat.
I just checked the website. This isn't a real toy. It's a joke, or as the website claims, a "cautionary vision".
They're a design firm...not a genetic/bio/materials engineering firm that makes revolutionary breakthroughs in artificial skin, etc.
Yes, but what for? Why?
Holy crap, it's a Moon-Beast! Where are the Saturnian Cats when you need them, man?
Ia, Ia! F'taghn, etc. [degenerates into gibbering blob of protoplasm]
All it needs to do is be programmed to seek out warmth and try to "cuddle" or kneed with its stumps. Imagine waking up to five of these things crawling on your bed, nuzzling up against you or trying to get under the covers. Hah!
#5 kiddr01, I couldn't find it either. Clicked 20 times, and still couldn't find it. The effects on the website were nice, but design is awful. Looked pretty, but designer didn't pay any attention to usability.
Eeeeuuuu!! I know it is meant to be nightmarish, but I was hoping for something goth-cute-ish; not just plain grotesque! I wouldn't even want to touch that... I feel somewhat slimey and tainted just looking at it.
And I agree with Cory: All-Flash designer sites are an epidemic. Looks good for 3 seconds, then I look for the site map (the 8% of times they even have the civility to add one).
I think the message behind this toy is something that has been roiling around in my head for some time: that the present aesthetic (postmodernist, minimalist, self-effacing, progress-obsessed, and yes, elitist) is heading toward an unusuable limit, and that there doesn't seem to be a next step of artistic or cultural expression except perhaps a swing back the other way towards more simplistic, comforting, or even homey, design.
On a related note, does anyone remember that 8-bit looking animation with the Xeni avatar, where the animator and Xeni were discussing the lo-fi CGI aesthetic? Many people in the comments disagreed with the animator's view, and I think the message behind this entry is a demonstration of such a rebuttal.
Sure this isn't something from Half-Life 3?
ummm. Merkin?
That's horrifying. Even more horrifying is that I'm required to visit MOMA's website and happenchance upon randomly horrific stuff like this. There's a fine line between highbrow technology and creepy-ass concepts. >_>
I DECRY THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OF MY ARMPITS LIKENESS.
It looks like a teratoma! ugh.
Janey wouldn't stop bothering us for an Epidermit. "Mother, Father all my girlfriends have one, and they're soo much fun, but none of my friends will let me play with theirs" Since we got her her own, she never bothers us, in fact, she hardly comes out of her room! THANKS EPIDERMIT! Now we have time to do what we want.
That's a pretty ugly and SCARY sex toy! The Great American Challenge dildo is in the same category. 8 pounds 18" and PURPLE: http://www.pleasuremenow.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3135