The most sophisticated sex robot today is a product of healthcare – ExtremeTech

Sophisticated sex dolls and toys have been around for quite some time now, with Real Dolls having been on the market since 1996. These dolls, though, are just that — dolls — and are generally static; nowhere near the level of sophistication science fiction would have you believe the world of robot companionship could have. However, one company is working on robotizing sex dolls, and has created the most sophisticated unit to date.

Dubbed Roxxxy (yes, developer True Companion actually did that with the name) the sexbot is a step ahead of your Ryan Gosling costar. She stands at an average height of 5-foot-7, and weighs a waifish 60 pounds. Like any good sex partner, Roxxxy has lifelike skin, and can move her limbs. Interestingly, Roxxxy evolved from True Companion’s line of healthcare robots that were designed to look after the elderly, which perhaps means that she’ll one day be able to cook you breakfast after a regretful night. This, actually, is True Companion’s intent, which is noticeable in the name of the company itself. Rather than creating a sexbot that can simulate real sex to the best of its robotic abilities, True Companion’s aim is to provide its namesake: a true companion. It aims to make a girl or boyfriend instead of a mute doll that you hide during dinner parties.

True Companion makes Roxxxy more than just a lifeless doll by including various motors and responses in the model. She is able to move her private inputs — as the company calls them — when they are being utilized, thanks to dedicated sensors. The bot is also able to mimic an orgasm, so you aren’t the only one having them. She is able to listen and carry on a conversation with the help of some light artificial intelligence installed on a computer embedded in the sexbot. On top of all that, the sexbot comes with pre-programmed personalities, such as shy, outgoing, experienced, or new to the whole thing and in need of some guidance. The bot also cycles through moods, such as tired or horny, so sometimes it just won’t be in the mood, or sometimes you won’t be.

You can customize you sexbot’s personality, and creepiest of all, you can trade them online with friends if you’re proud of your amalgamation of a shy, inexperienced, horny sexbot. True Companion’s product page likens this to wife swapping, but without any of the drama.

Though more sophisticated than a doll that just slumps over on the couch, True Companion’s tech is more or less responsive to stimuli or running on a pre-programmed loop, rather than acting on its own. There is tech out there that, combined with Roxxxy, could create a much more believable companion. A new type of e-skin is responsive to touch, and if combined with Roxxxy, could create a more dynamic response to human advances. Another piece of tech combines augmented reality with a tangible robot in order to create a system where the tactile sensation of the robot can mimic the sensations the AR character would be inducing. Combined with Roxxxy, this could lead to that tactile sensation feeling like a human being, rather than a metal limb.

Variations of the sexbot have been in development since 2001, but a version that is mobile is actually planned for sometime later this year. The primary, responsive version is quite expensive, though there are cheaper, limbless versions that are made specifically to be stuffed inside a pillowcase to better hide from company. There is also a male version named Rocky. For more information, head on over to True Companion’s website, but be warned that there’s really only one way to show off a sex robot.

Now read: Do humans dream of android prostitutes?