What differentiates a true sex robot from merely a highly realistic sex doll, or even a ‘smart sex doll’. A number of crude sex robots have already appeared, but they tend to be less flexible than a sex doll even if they can independently move their lips, blink, raise an arm, and speak a narrow range of recorded sentences. Some ‘robots’ can change their temperature and even ‘respond’ in some way to touch, but many ‘smart’ sex toys can do that. According to Matt McMullen of RealDoll/Realbotix, the forthcoming ‘Harmony’ from his company – set to appear in January – will be the first true sex robot. In particular, he has some rather unkind words for Harmony’s rival Samantha of Synthea Amatus.
Now a battle is brewing between two rivals keen on winning early market share.
If you’ve caught any of the headlines about this largely NSFW tech category, you’ve probably stumbled across the name Dr. Sergi Santos, founder of Synthea Amatus.
Santos is the creator of Samantha, a device with a female form that reacts to physical contact and a user’s voice. The so-called robot went on sale over the summer and costs a pretty penny. The price for the head alone, which houses all of the electronics, is over $5000.
After a tech conference in Austria recently, Santos complained that lecherous patrons had abused and broken a display device. Early press coverage has helped bolster Synthea Amatus’ sales. A co-founder claims the company can’t keep models in stock.
That perceived early lead in a growing market has led to some insider smack talking. Matt McMullen is CEO of San Marcos-based RealBotix, which plans to launch a line of ultra-realistic “female” sex robots at the end of the year.
In an interview with the Daily Star Online, McMullan calimed that Santos’ creations were “kind of cheesy,” referring to them as “toys.”
“It’s not moving, there are no robots involved, how can you call it a robot? It’s very, very simplistic programming.”
He added, “It’s closer to something that you would pull a string from the back of.”
“I would very strongly argue against those qualifying as sex robots,” he said.
McMullan’s devices will sell for closer to $20,000 and can be synched to a mobile phone. They come with multiple selectable personalities and have some limited ability to move on their own.
Read the full article at : http://www.zdnet.com/article/sex-robot-maker-dismisses-rivals-creation-as-a-toy/
