World

Japanese firm makes robot girlfriend for lonely men

by Barry ORegan | June 19, 2008 at 06:26 am

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Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Apparently the lonely have a girlfriend and it is battery operated, much like battery operated boyfriends for the lonely gal. Friday nights will now be dinner (Alone) and a movie watching Transformers together as a prelude to foreplay. And we wonder why society is so screwed up! Where some take life as make believe and turn it into reality.

TOKYO -- She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.

A Japanese firm has produced a 38 cm (15 inch) tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around US$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."

"Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.

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