Japanese designing robotic girlfriends

Submitted by Matt on Wed, 2008-06-18 14:39

Why bother reading fiction when you have the news? It's just sad. So, it's come to this. Excerpt:

'A Japanese firm has produced a 15-inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men.

Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode."'

This is only the beginning, a test-marketing of sorts, as if they needed to do one. In a few decades, assuming the world doesn't implode on itself, a life-sized "fully-functional, 99% passable" android will be available. Think I'm kidding? Look how far electronics and robotics have already come in just 10 years!

Can relations between the sexes generally get any worse? Robotic replacements for one another is about as bad I think it can get short of gunfights in the streets.

MSNBC also has a video report. It can be seen here, but comes on after the story about the camel that walked away from a collision with a car.

Again, why bother with fiction when you have the news?

Like0 Dislike0

Comments

A spokeswoman for Sega Toys, the robot's manufacturer stated -

"She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend."

Too bad real girlfriends don't know how to act like robots.

I predict this simulated love object will sell like hotcakes, and not because she can kiss.

She can't talk. And her hands can't grab your wallet.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by Roy on Wed, 2008-06-18 16:25