Robotics Reference
In-Depth Information
Heterosexuals might use same-sex sexbots to experiment with ho-
mosexuality or bi-sexuality. Gay people might use other-sex sexbots
to try out heterosexuality. Predators with sexual addictions might
no longer prey on human beings.
Given that people become addicted to all sorts of pleasures from
slot machines to e-mail, sexbot addiction might be inevitable. Users
could become obsessed by their ever-faithful, willing-to-please
sexbot lovers that never say “no” or get headaches, and rearrange
their lives to accommodate their addictions. Support groups are
inevitable. [5]
Snell also speculates that a new category of sexuality might emerge among
humans—the techno-virgin, people who find it simpler, perhaps even
preferable, to have sex exclusively with sexbots.
...Sexbotswouldalmostsurelybeprogrammedtobehighlyintu-
itive, keeping track of what worked and what didn't. They would
become better sexual partners as they learned more about their hu-
man counterparts, storing everything in their memory banks from
gasps of pleasure to frequency of orgasm. Every time they had sex
with a human, it might get better. [5]
Katz lists a number of benefits of sexbots. A fall in sexually-transmitted
diseases, a fall in teenage pregnancies and abortions, fewer paedophiles,
less prostitution. He suggests that sexbots could keep marital partners
happy so the idea of having an extra-marital affair might become
outmoded—“Why take the risk when your sexbot is waiting to meet
your needs?” With so many benefits it seems likely that robots will be-
come the sexual partners of choice for many.
The Mechanics of Sex with Robots
Many lovers might wonder at the possibility of developing technology
that could replicate human tenderness of touch at its most sensuous. But
the technology is already here.
Scientists in Spain have developed a robotic finger with a sense of
touch. It is made of a material called a polymer that can feel the
weight of what it's pushing and adjust the energy it uses accord-
ingly. This is similar to the way we use our sense of touch. If we
pick up a delicate object such as a flower, our fingertips sense its
fragility and so grasp it lightly.
