In a world where virtual reality often rivals actual reality, it comes as little to no surprise that even intimate interpersonal relationships have been replaced by technological “advancements.” Improving upon the pre-existing sex dolls are Realbotix, animated sex dolls that talk back to their users, providing a more, say, humanized experience. With the recent innovation of penis wearables and the iPhone sex tracking app, bizarrely enough, this concept doesn’t actually seem that far-fetched. Rather, having your sex doll talk back to you simply seems like the next step in automating away human interaction.
The genius behind Realbotix is a man named Matt McMullen, whose first claim to fame was the invention of the RealDoll, the self-proclaimed “world’s finest love doll.” Now, his company is moving on to bigger and better things, namely making these female robots blink and, more importantly, respond to your most pressing questions. As it stands, the plans for Realbotix only involve a talking head, which consumers can attach to RealDoll bodies for an all-inclusive experience. The next phase, of course, would be developing artificially intelligent robots that include both body parts above and below the neck.
The purpose behind the project is to create an illusion of reality when it comes to sex with a doll. In explaining the project, McMullen asked, “What is she thinking, does she like it?” He continued, “If you can create that, or the illusion of that, it is going to be a much more impressive payoff than ‘Wow, she can gyrate her hips by herself.'”
The robotic heads of Realbotix are still two years away from becoming a reality, and they don’t come cheap. For a cool $10,000, you’ll be able to buy the head alone, and in the next few years, the whole package will set you back between $30,000 and $60,000. But for the virtual reality of intimacy, that may not be such an absurd price tag after all.
