Scientists have long looked for ways to treat erectile dysfunction – and while Viagra, penis pumps, and penile implants are all options, a new proposed device hopes to be more effective.
Dr. Brian Le of the Department of Urology at University of Wisconsin-Madison and his colleagues are working on a penile implant made from a heat-activated “memory metal” called Nitinol, which is comprised of nickel and titanium. It’s designed so that the metal rod will stay in a flaccid shape until it’s heated up — possibly by a separate remote-control device that Le is testing — at which point it will spring into a rigid line, allowing the user to have an erection.
Here’s an example of how it can react:
Le’s aiming to have this available for consumers in the next five to ten years, though it’s not hard to imagine the horrors at hand should this metal device ever malfunction. Then again, human men are going to need to find a way to compete with their robot counterparts soon.