In this article I will talk about one of the most disturbing ways that technology is changing human relations. I'm talking about the new wave of sex robots being designed and sold to consumers worldwide.
Only a year ago Abyss Creations created Harmony, RealDoll's first sex robot. This robot took the world by storm and is the subject of a lot of controversy. This event brings up the idea of the uncanny valley, a theory presented by roboticist Masahiro Mori, nearly half a century ago.
The uncanny valley attempts to explain the feelings of revulsion and eeriness in which human onlookers experience when they encounter an artificial life-form that appears nearly, but not quite human.
When I first met Matt McMullen, Harmony's creator and human chaperone, he planned to launch what I've called the world's first commercially viable sex robot in late 2017. Harmony's AI would be customizable via an accompanying Android app, but with limitations. While he had plans for a male version and mused about other gender variations, Harmony would launch as an artificial female with porn star proportions.
McMullen clearly has ambition and drive but his unfortunately his dreams of launching in 2017 didn't materialize. Even though Harmony failed to launch in 2017, McMullen and team are still making improvements to Harmony's AI and the robotic head it's housed in.
He's now targeting the end of this month for a release date, and while he's says he's still refining the pricing, Realbotix modular robotic heads should cost between $8,000 and $10,000 at launch.
So, one has to ask what is so special about these modular robotic heads? Are they really worth $8,000 to $10,000?
If you want to get into the ethics of the matter we could move on to questions like... What is the difference between a sex robot and a sex slave? Should human beings be going down a road that could potentially eliminate procreation entirely?
But lets get back to the matter at hand shall we?
Sex-robots have become a trend in the entertainment world with popular ones even featuring an artificial G-spot and numerous modes of interaction as well as newly-introduced pole-dancing robot strippers, however, the 2018 International Consumer Electronics Show revealed that there are more extraordinary toys being developed.
Certainly this trend is heating up and at the 2018 International Consumer Electronics show people saw some transformative technologies including a brand new sexbot.
On stage at CES for Engadget’s After Hours, creator Matt McCullen showed off their new sexbot named Solana and gave a demonstration which illustrated her ability to switch her very life-like face for another.
“The face is actually modular, the same way that within the app you can change the personality settings and create a separate profile and separate avatar, you’re able to remove and attach a different face to the same robot very easily,” McMullen said.
Words can't describe this event accurately so take a look at this video...
I'll leave it to my readers to decide about the morality of sexbots. What do you think of this new Solana robot? Are we looking at the greatest feat of modern robotics engineering of 2018?
Please leave your thoughts and opinions below...
Source:
There’s a new sex robot in town: Say hello to Solana - Engadget
Meet Solana: New Sex Robot With Swappable Face Unveiled (PHOTO, VIDEO) - Sputnik News
Image Source:
Engadget