THE BORE
General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Ichirou on February 01, 2010, 11:54:08 PM
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(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/TECH/02/01/sex.robot/t1larg.jpg)
To some men, she might seem like the perfect woman: She's a willowy 5 feet 7 and 120 pounds. She'll chat with you endlessly about your interests. And she'll have sex whenever you please -- as long as her battery doesn't run out.
Meet Roxxxy, who may be the world's most sophisticated talking female sex robot. For $7,000, she's all yours.
"She doesn't vacuum or cook, but she does almost everything else," said her inventor, Douglas Hines, who unveiled Roxxxy last month at the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lifelike dolls, artificial sex organs and sex-chat phone lines have been keeping the lonely company for decades. But Roxxxy takes virtual companionship to a new level.
Powered by a computer under her soft silicone "skin," she employs voice-recognition and speech-synthesis software to answer questions and carry on conversations. She even comes loaded with five distinct "personalities," from Frigid Farrah to Wild Wendy, that can be programmed to suit customers' preferences.
"There's a tremendous need for this kind of product," said Hines, a computer scientist and former Bell Labs engineer.
Roxxxy won't be available for delivery for several months, but Hines is taking pre-orders through his Web site, TrueCompanion.com, where thousands of men have signed up.
"They're like, 'I can't wait to meet her,' " Hines said. "It's almost like the anticipation of a first date."
Women have inquired about ordering a sex robot, too. Hines says a female sex therapist even contacted him about buying one for her patients.
Roxxxy has been like catnip to talk-show hosts since her debut at AEE, the largest porn-industry convention in the country. In a recent monologue, Jay Leno expressed amazement that a sex robot could carry on lifelike conversations and express realistic emotions.
"Luckily, guys," he joked, "there's a button that turns that off."
Curious conventioneers packed Hines' AEE booth last month in Las Vegas, asking questions and stroking Roxxxy's skin as she sat on a couch in a black negligee.
"Roxxxy generated a lot of buzz at AEE," said Grace Lee, spokeswoman for the porn-industry convention. "The prevailing sentiment of everyone I talked to about Roxxxy is 'version 1.0,' but people were fascinated by the concept, and it caused them to rethink the possibilities of 'sex toys.' "
Hines, a self-professed happily married man from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, says he spent more than three years developing the robot after trying to find a marketable application for his artificial-intelligence technology.
Roxxxy's body is made from hypoallergenic silicone -- the kind of stuff in prosthetic limbs -- molded over a rigid skeleton. She cannot move on her own but can be contorted into almost any natural position. To create her shape, a female model spent a week posing for a series of molds.
The robot runs on a self-contained battery that lasts about three hours on one charge, Hines says. Customers can recharge Roxxxy with an electrical cord that plugs into her back.
A motor in her chest pumps heated air through a tube that winds through the robot's body, which Hines says keeps her warm to the touch. Roxxxy also has sensors in her hands and genital areas -- yes, she is anatomically correct -- that will trigger vocal responses from her when touched. She even shudders to simulate orgasm.
When someone speaks to Roxxxy, her computer converts the words to text and then uses pattern-recognition software to match them against a database containing hundreds of appropriate responses. The robot then answers aloud -- her prerecorded "voice" is supplied by an unnamed radio host -- through a loudspeaker hidden under her wig.
"Everything you say to her is processed. It's very near real time, almost without delay," Hines said of the dynamics of human-Roxxxy conversation. "To make it as realistic as possible, she has different dialogue at different times. She talks in her sleep. She even snores." (The snoring feature can be turned off, he says.)
Roxxxy understands and speaks only English for now, but Hines' True Companion company is developing Japanese and Spanish versions. For an extra fee, he'll also record customizable dialogue and phrases for each client, which means Roxxxy could talk to you about NASCAR, say, or the intricacies of politics in the Middle East.
Hines believes that Roxxxy is a step above other love dolls -- the similar but mute RealDoll costs about $5,500 -- because her conversational abilities provide something close to emotional companionship. His customer base? Shy, awkward or older men who "have trouble meeting girls," he says.
In an industry known for pushing the technological envelope, observers are curious about how Roxxxy will fare in the marketplace.
"Is this a viable product? Yes," said Sherri Shaulis, an editor at Adult Video News, a trade magazine for the pornographic industry. "There's a market for it. Granted, it's a very small market."
Maybe not. TrueCompanion claims that more than 4,000 men have placed pre-orders for Roxxxy robots, and another 20,000 or so have requested information about the product. TrueCompanion also is developing a male sex robot, named Rocky.
"There's really nothing like this on the market," said Hines, who speaks of his unique creation with what seems like genuine affection. "Whenever she's out in public, everyone wants to talk to her and pose for pictures. It's so cute."
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Man the new Doctor Who is ass ugly, and why are thry bringing Donna back?
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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We finally meet Roxxxy. :lol
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We finally meet Roxxxy. :lol
OMFG :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
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I don't understand why I should have to pay $7,000 to paperbag a sex robot?
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I don't understand why I should have to pay $7,000 to paperbag a sex robot?
Because some of us can't do better.
Malek if she sounds sexy will you buy one?
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You just know the inventor has used her. :lol
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Just as long as Kosma hasn't used her.
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It's actually on sale right now for $6,495! Now Malek has no excuse to buy one!
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I'll wait for a model that doesn't look like a British drag queen.
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No multi-tasking or Flash. pass
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I'll wait for a model that doesn't look like a British drag queen.
That's how british drag queens look like? Count me in.
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Just as long as Kosma hasn't used her.
You can probably use industrial-strength disinfectant on her. Some germs can survive for days in a properly disinfected environment though, so best to wait a week or so.
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demi is hoping the one on the right is the sex robot, amirite
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demi is hoping the one on the right is the sex robot, amirite
He isn't even fat. Steeerike!
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demi is hoping the one on the right is the sex robot, amirite
He isn't even fat. Steeerike!
compared to who
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demi is hoping the one on the right is the sex robot, amirite
He isn't even fat. Steeerike!
compared to who
:smug
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I guess her vagina would be the uncanny valley.
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demi is hoping the one on the right is the sex robot, amirite
He isn't even fat. Steeerike!
compared to who
He isn't fat enough is what I'm saying
I guess her vagina would be the uncanny valley.
Don't know if I should laugh or smh
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I guess her vagina would be the uncanny valley.
:lol
smh
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I guess her vagina would be the uncanny valley.
:lol
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:lol @ uncanny valley
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What I don't get about this or real dolls is how do you keep them discreet? Where do you store it?
The kind of men who would buy sex robots aren't the kind of men who have to worry about visitors.
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What I don't get about this or real dolls is how do you keep them discreet? Where do you store it?
People that are really into them don't worry about being discrete. The BBC had a documentary on this a couple years ago... :S
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What I don't get about this or real dolls is how do you keep them discreet? Where do you store it?
Just wrap her up in a black tablecloth and tell the neighbours she converted to Islam.
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What I don't get about this or real dolls is how do you keep them discreet? Where do you store it?
The kind of men who would buy sex robots aren't the kind of men who have to worry about visitors.
Live ones, anyway.
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You could store it inside an unused blow-up doll - they're more socially acceptable.
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I would fuck it. Beats using a hand
JULAYYYYYYYYYYYYY
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:lol
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Looks about as attractive as any other electrically-stimulated-into-movement corpse out there.
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Oh my god, this is the most pathetically sad thing I've ever seen in my life.
Like if she was just a large blow up sex toy then fine, but the stuff about her simulating conversation and trying to recreate a real live woman is so incredibly sad....
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It kind of makes me angry that the guy is positioning his product as something to help people. I'm pretty sure something like this is only going to make them weirder and more depraved than before.
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Yes exactly, to rely on a piece of plastic as your female interaction, not only sexually but EMOTIONALLY? That is so depraved and not helpful in any way.
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Talking? pass, also that thing looks like Donna Noble :yuck
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Talking? pass, also that thing looks like Donna Noble :yuck
I made that joke already! no one found it funny. No one understands me but my sex doll :'(
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tbh I just saw the pic, hit end and wrote that in the quick reply box.
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I guess her vagina would be the uncanny valley.
(http://blog.mlive.com/elections_source/2008/01/large_mccainthumbs080129.jpg)
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That face creeps me out.
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I would fuck it. Beats using a hand
JULAYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Oh God, is it terrible that I get that reference? :-\
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How would YOU like to have sex with the latest down syndrome doll? (http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/SlinkyT82/4g3swx.gif)
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tbh I just saw the pic, hit end and wrote that in the quick reply box.
I learned something today. Sad, I know, but I never use the end key.
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I didn't know we could get a quick reply box. With this I think I can increase my post production by 15%. Prepare for a surge of misspellings.
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I'm clicking on Father Mike and hitting 'End' - is it working?
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:lol