Is there more to robot sex than Roxxxy?

Recently we had a reader write in to ask about developments in “bringing sex robots to market”. He wanted to know whether there were any budding companies out there that might deliver in ways True Companion, creators of the most notorious sex robot, Roxxxy, had not. We figured we’d share our response with everyone.

As far as we know, there aren’t too many companies working on this stuff. We do keep reviews and product overviews of sexbots in our Bizarre Bazaar section [NSFW], but here is a quick primer on what’s available:

Andy Droid

While Andry Droid doesn’t have an artificial intelligence (AI) engine, she does boast a pulse as well as a heartbeat.

True Companion

As mentioned, True Companion is the team behind Roxxxy, the sex robot that brought media attention to sex robots. Roxxxy does boast AI capability and an impressive synthetic skin.

Sex Bots

Sex Bots are life-size robotic companions, activated by touch or remote control. They have a line of bots available, with a few interesting options thrown in (Unisex, for example).

However, the robots mentioned above are all reasonably similar–they bear a human appearance, are capable of limited interaction, and boast no mobility–so if you’re not impressed with Roxxxy then it’s unlikely they’ll blow you away.

That’s not really the shape of the potential market, though. What’s more telling than those obvious selections is the relevant headway being made in robotics generally. There are people out there advancing all the components a working sex bot would need, but they’re doing it separately. Here’s an overview of some of the pertinent movements in robotics:

Personality

We have already seen the readiness with which humans will attach themselves emotionally to robots. Whether you’re looking at Paro, the robot used to help patients with Alzheimer’s; ZYSDF, the robot used to collect donations from people on the street; or Tweenbots, the cute robots that rely on human interaction to get where they’re going, what we’re seeing is that it is incredibly easy for humans to open their hearts to robots. Currently, there are people like Heather at MarilynMonrobot.com and Martin Saerbeck trying to create robot personalities, which will be a vital feature for robot companions.

Robot “bodies”

Looking past the bots that are strictly developed for sex, there is lots being done to achieve realistic, human-esque robots. We’re not just talking about fembots like Aiko, either. The Geminoid-DK models are incredibly lifelike, and will no doubt spawn more of the same. See the video below for proof of just how uncanny the likeness to human features and movements can be.

Control Systems

As well as advances in the exoskeletons of robots, we are seeing the evolution of their control systems. What was once limited to a set-up of master/slave hardware, is now possible through full body motion-capture systems. You can see an example of Taylor Veltrop’s hybrid Kinect/Wii robot control system below.

When you throw all that together, you arrive at a robot that looks like a human, behaves like a human and can be controlled in any number of ways. It won’t take long for that same robot to be adapted to suit the very human needs of the libido.

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A company with all the remote sex options…

We’ve already looked at a few specific teledildonics devices, and there are always more on the way, but we haven’t yet really seen a company offering a full teledildonics solution. That is: a device for men, a device for women and a way for those to interact, as well as an iPhone app and services for cam performers who want to add teledildonics to their live shows.

Remote Pleasure, a Hong Kong-based service, has all the above either available currently or in the works. At the time of writing, everything but the gentlemen’s device is on sale, with the male cup listed as ‘coming soon’.

That cup looks to be the most interesting product of the bunch, simply because it is the first time we’ve seen a male device that acts as a control–previously we’ve only seen receivers. The Remote Pleasure device will allow the male’s movements to replace the clicking function that’s most widely adopted to control remote vibrators, creating a more organic link between two parties engaged in remote sex.

This is the first device we’ve seen that really allows couples to capitalize on teledildonic technology, demonstrating that this remote sex is a viable solution for everyone. It will be interesting to see how Remote Pleasure go with their male device, that’s for sure.

Image source: Remote Pleasure

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Second Life makes teledildonic encounters easy!

While Second Life is an entity that has achieved general notoriety on the Internet, it’s not something a majority of people have used. There is a pervasive understanding that Second Life is a huge virtual world boasting an overly-hyped contingent of virtual sex participants, but many of us have little to no idea how the actual mechanics of these interactions unfold.

We had a look into it and found an aspect of the Second Life sex world that hasn’t reached the same level of publicity as the sex in general: Second Life has teledildonics capabilities.

While some Second Life users rely on assigned in-game furniture to trigger sex animations, others purchase their own from the Xcite! [NSFW] marketplace, an in-game store that not only provides sex toys, but also sells genitals and nipples (which Second Life’s avatars don’t innately have). Xcite! have capitalized on that and introduced real life sex toy integration with their on-screen sex toys.

Users purchase an Xcite! virtual sex toy or genital pack (in-game object), a real life vibrator and a touch-compatible USB adaptor and they’re able to have a synchronized virtual/real life sexual experience.

Based on the lack of user complaints and the apparent ubiquity of Xcite! products in the Second Life realm, it seems the technology is working, or working well enough. That, along with the sheer number of people using Second Life, makes this teledildonics option one of the most viable for anyone interested in a teledildonics encounter. But it seems strange that only those within the Second Life community are aware of Xcite!’s products and integration.

Image source: Wikimedia.org

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A future of love and sex with androids, according to Maryland fundamentalists.

Somehow, when a mindset of the past locks horns with a discussion of the present, the promise of the future is born.

At a recent congressional hearing in the US, a group of Maryland fundamentalists—known collectively as Protect Marriage Maryland—put forward the idea that the acceptance of gay marriage would lead, unequivocally, to marrying robots.

“You laugh, but it’s true,” says speaker for the group, Robert Broadus, having attempted to fortify his point on the inevitability of robot unions with a solemn reference to Data from Star Trek.

If you’d like to hear more about the potential for inter-species coupling and robot tears, see the full submission on YouTube.

Image source: Wikipedia.org

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SVEDKA decides adults want hot bots

Fembots have been a curiosity for the mainstream since before we even knew what technology could make them real. Hajime Sorayama spent years creating sexy gynoids, and his patrons spent years paying him to do it. We’ve seen fembots pop up in films, video clips and novels, almost always playing the role of fatal seductress.

SVEDKA, a brand of Swedish vodka, tapped into that curiosity back in 2005 when they first created their SVEDKA_Grl advertising campaign.

For those who’ve not seen it, the SVEDKA campaign plays on our long-established views of the future. There is futuristic music, jilted, ‘robotic’ dance moves, a lot of metallic accessories and then SVEDKA_Grl, the shapely fembot SVEDKA have adopted as their mascot.

A spokesperson for the company said SVEDKA’s original premise for the campaign was the idea of adult entertainment (not porn)—that is, all things pertaining to the fun of adulthood, whether that be drinking, dining, dancing, nightlife or shopping. They then took that concept and projected it into the future.

“Since no one owns the future, all things are possible for the SVEDKA brand. In 2033 there’s a female president, a 100% divorce rate, interplanetary dating is all the rage and SVEDKA is the number one vodka.”

To birth SVEDKA_Grl, SVEDKA brought in a creative dream team consisting of avant garde artist Charlie White (who worked alongside Ad Agency Amalgamated) and special effects guru Stan Winston (known for his magic on The Terminator, Edward Scissorhands).

The advertisements touch on controversial topics like stem cell research and homosexuality, but the futuristic context and presentation disarms them somewhat, allowing them to fall short of potentially offensive or off-putting.

It’s interesting that SVEDKA decided a sexy fembot would be the most effective way to get the attention of adults, but the ensuing Internet attention suggests it was a worthwhile tactic.

Would you buy SVEDKA_Grl a drink?

Image source: The Intoxicologist Is In

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Stimulating emotions with tactile feedback technology…

Wearing your heart on your sleeve was once a simple turn of phrase, but now that scientists have expanded on the original haptics jacket it’s becoming a technological goal.

Haptics is an area of tactile feedback technology. It applies force feedback, vibrations and motions to the user, exploiting the sensitive human sense of touch. Haptics jackets are wearable versions of this technology, and they apply the tactile feedback to key areas of the body to emulate our experiences of certain emotions. There’s been renewed interest in this technology recently.

For example the Philips haptic jacket, designed to immerse a movie-viewer in the emotions on screen, will create tension in the limbs to mimic anxiety, or cause a shiver up the spine to mimic fear.

Or the iFeel_IM! (“I feel therefore I am”) haptics harness, created by Dzmitry Tsetserukou, an assistant professor at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan, with the hope of bringing emotion to cyberspace.

“We are steeped in computer-mediated communication — SMS, e-mail, Twitter, Instant Messaging, 3-D virtual worlds — but many people don’t connect emotionally,” he said in an interview.”I am looking to create a deep immersive experience, not just a vibration in your shirt triggered by an SMS. Emotion is what give communication life.”

Strangely, despite designing his jacket for networks like Second Life, Tsetserukou opted not to include sex-related functionality, saying it would interfere with his focus on emotion.

I tend to think that including functions for arousal would amplify the potential of emotion investment and connection. What do you think?

Image source: PhysOrg.com

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