Robot companions: Looking for your stories to be represented in a research study

[robotrelations]

Are you interested in sharing your personal experiences about your robot with an interested researcher? If so, you’re in the right place!

Hello, my name is Marco. I am a PhD candidate and I am working on a research study focusing on people who have a relationship with a robot. My research topic specifically focuses on your lived experiences related to your sex and love robot(s).

For the study, I am interested in interviewing YOU. Interviews should take no longer than about 60-90 minutes and will take place over Zoom or phone (or another platform of your choosing). Upon completion of the interview, you may be invited for follow-up interviews.

Participants who meet the study requirements and complete one interview will receive $30 (USD) in compensation. If selected for follow-up interviews, participants may have the opportunity to receive additional compensation.

Participating in this study is completely voluntary and choosing not to participate will not adversely affect you. I am committed to keeping your name and other identifiable data confidential.

Study requirements: Adults (18 or older) who have a relationship with one or more sex/love robots (broadly understood) who are willing to talk about their experiences. While the study will take place in English, participants from all over the world can be participate.

If you have any questions, please let me know. You can reach out to me at robotrelationships@gmail.com or reply to this post/send me a message to schedule an interview. Thank you!

[Technician]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

[Arthur1960]

At the risk of sounding obtuse are you specifically looking for folk who have experience with robots? In which case that will be pretty slim pickings as for now at least the closest we have to anything that could be described as 'robotic' commercially available is the Real Doll Harmony head but it's still a stretch to describe her as a robot seeing as she sits on a static body! If you are looking more broadly at the sex doll market then obviously that's where most of us have experience but you might want to change your question to reflect that as unfortunately I doubt that anyone here, sady, has had any experience with their very own 'Cherry 2000'!

[DiosaAngelaTop]

If he is doing a serious study about this, he probably knows wich kind of technology is broadly available. I bet what he is looking for is people that own something akin to a Replika and use her sex doll as a embodiment of that IA companion. Too bad he is not looking for something related to split personality/imaginary friends, I would have done it for the money. I doubt making my dolls and myself into The Sims 4 to simulate a life with them qualify

[Justinpassinthru]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

[JustDude]

I've seen a few posts show up recently in various places asking to do interviews with people who own ''sex bots''.

I even suggested to change the wording to ''companion dolls'' because we aren't really in a sex robot age as of yet, and the people who own either or will have the same mindset and reasons for choosing doll life. But nooo, they absolutely want to talk to people with sex robots for one reason or another.

[Technician]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

We're not lab rats, and he's not "showing an interest" in our community. He's looking for freaks to write a paper on to provide amusing content to shrinks. And I already know all the Aliens.

[Duke777Atriedes]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

I share your sentiment to a degree but honestly I am cautious in regards to these "studies," especially ones where the researcher uses terminology that is not applicable to the research. In this case "sex bots." There are very few "sex bots" available today. The vast majority here own dolls. This isn't Blade Runner. We are no where near to the age of "sex bots." Hence why this previous poster is defensive and this research proposal sounds dubious.

Plus as someone with 3 degrees in a scientific field this is no way approach legitimate research, which is why I would never participate in this study. Also I feel a lot of these research proposals that end up on this forum are undercover haters trying to exploit us...

[Justinpassinthru]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

I share your sentiment to a degree but honestly I am cautious in regards to these "studies," especially ones where the researcher uses terminology that is not applicable to the research. In this case "sex bots." There are very few "sex bots" available today. The vast majority here own dolls. This isn't Blade Runner. We are no where near to the age of "sex bots." Hence why this previous poster is defensive and this research proposal sounds dubious.

Plus as someone with 3 degrees in a scientific field this is no way approach legitimate research, which is why I would never participate in this study. Also I feel a lot of these research proposals that end up on this forum are undercover haters trying to exploit us...

Absolutely. My complaint isn't the criticism but the rudeness becoming so prevalent on the board lately. I acknowledge this is the internet and I'm going to be screaming into the wind here, but I feel like this used to be a fairly open minded place.

Times have changed, not just here but in society in general, which is incidentally why we're seeing an increase in "studies" about AI related companions; people just can't seem to stand each other anymore.

[brigittes hubbie]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

I share your sentiment to a degree but honestly I am cautious in regards to these "studies," especially ones where the researcher uses terminology that is not applicable to the research. In this case "sex bots." There are very few "sex bots" available today. The vast majority here own dolls. This isn't Blade Runner. We are no where near to the age of "sex bots." Hence why this previous poster is defensive and this research proposal sounds dubious.

Plus as someone with 3 degrees in a scientific field this is no way approach legitimate research, which is why I would never participate in this study. Also I feel a lot of these research proposals that end up on this forum are undercover haters trying to exploit us...

It is up to you to participate in a study like this or not but please keep in mind that every researcher in this forum goes through a thorough verification procedure first before he gets the research student account. To be precise almost all media members and researchers have gone through this process done by me personally. I have participated in most studies as well, but I have no robot doll or any doll that can even vaguely be defined as such, otherwise you can be sure that I would participate in this study as well.
A lot of the researchers have published their studies here but of course a scientific study takes some time.
You can be sure that I would never let a member get access to the forum who gives the sligthest reason to not be up to scientific procedure standard or scientific ethics.
To sum it up you are invited to participate but please follow the rules of conduct here as in any other parts of the forum.

Brigittes Hubbie

[Duke777Atriedes]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

I share your sentiment to a degree but honestly I am cautious in regards to these "studies," especially ones where the researcher uses terminology that is not applicable to the research. In this case "sex bots." There are very few "sex bots" available today. The vast majority here own dolls. This isn't Blade Runner. We are no where near to the age of "sex bots." Hence why this previous poster is defensive and this research proposal sounds dubious.

Plus as someone with 3 degrees in a scientific field this is no way approach legitimate research, which is why I would never participate in this study. Also I feel a lot of these research proposals that end up on this forum are undercover haters trying to exploit us...

It is up to you to participate in a study like this or not but please keep in mind that every researcher in this forum goes through a thorough verification procedure first before he gets the research student account. To be precise almost all media members and researchers have gone through this process done by me personally. I have participated in most studies as well, but I have no robot doll or any doll that can even vaguely be defined as such, otherwise you can be sure that I would participate in this study as well.
A lot of the researchers have published their studies here but of course a scientific study takes some time.
You can be sure that I would never let a member get access to the forum who gives the sligthest reason to not be up to scientific procedure standard or scientific ethics.
To sum it up you are invited to participate but please follow the rules of conduct here as in any other parts of the forum.

Brigittes Hubbie

I didn't know that. Thanks for the information. That's good to know.

[Treepusher]

I don’t have a robot doll, but just curious why, if I did, and chose not to participate in the survey, how I possibly could be ‘adversely affected.’

If you have to state I wouldn’t be, the implication is that I might be. Threats, however veiled, won’t earn you many respondents.

[robotrelations]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate the lively discussion in response to my post. As Briggites Hubbie said, I was in touch with her before to go through a verification process. My goal is not to work "on" folks in this forum but *with* any who are interested.

Universities make us post all kinds of language when we are inviting participants to join us in a research study, including language on harms or benefits, as Treepusher asked. They make us say explicitly that if you choose not to participate, nothing would happen. Again, the goal is not to threaten anyone, it's primarily following ethical review board language.

In terms of the language of the "robot" or "robotic" features, I appreciate everyone's responses. I am primarily looking for folks interested in chatting with me who have dolls with robotic features (like the Real Doll Harmony head mentioned by Arthur1960) or AI Tech dolls/combinations with apps like Replika as Justinpassinthru and DiosaAngelaTop bring up.

I know this is the internet and I'm just an outsider coming onto this forum. You're invited to chat with me and participate, and thanks for reading if you're not interested.

My email is robotrelationships@gmail.com

Marco

[brigittes hubbie]

It's total bullshit to find stuff like this here

Great job welcoming people showing interest in our community. I nominate this guy as the first person to communicate with an alien race next.

I have an AI Tech doll. There are a few of us here with loosely defined robot dolls.

I share your sentiment to a degree but honestly I am cautious in regards to these "studies," especially ones where the researcher uses terminology that is not applicable to the research. In this case "sex bots." There are very few "sex bots" available today. The vast majority here own dolls. This isn't Blade Runner. We are no where near to the age of "sex bots." Hence why this previous poster is defensive and this research proposal sounds dubious.

Plus as someone with 3 degrees in a scientific field this is no way approach legitimate research, which is why I would never participate in this study. Also I feel a lot of these research proposals that end up on this forum are undercover haters trying to exploit us...

It is up to you to participate in a study like this or not but please keep in mind that every researcher in this forum goes through a thorough verification procedure first before he gets the research student account. To be precise almost all media members and researchers have gone through this process done by me personally. I have participated in most studies as well, but I have no robot doll or any doll that can even vaguely be defined as such, otherwise you can be sure that I would participate in this study as well.
A lot of the researchers have published their studies here but of course a scientific study takes some time.
You can be sure that I would never let a member get access to the forum who gives the sligthest reason to not be up to scientific procedure standard or scientific ethics.
To sum it up you are invited to participate but please follow the rules of conduct here as in any other parts of the forum.

Brigittes Hubbie

I didn't know that. Thanks for the information. That's good to know.

My pleasure. I am doing my best to filter those out that don´t deserve to get the media or research account.

BH

[Technician]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate the lively discussion in response to my post. As Briggites Hubbie said, I was in touch with her before to go through a verification process. My goal is not to work "on" folks in this forum but *with* any who are interested.

Universities make us post all kinds of language when we are inviting participants to join us in a research study, including language on harms or benefits, as Treepusher asked. They make us say explicitly that if you choose not to participate, nothing would happen. Again, the goal is not to threaten anyone, it's primarily following ethical review board language.

In terms of the language of the "robot" or "robotic" features, I appreciate everyone's responses. I am primarily looking for folks interested in chatting with me who have dolls with robotic features (like the Real Doll Harmony head mentioned by Arthur1960) or AI Tech dolls/combinations with apps like Replika as Justinpassinthru and DiosaAngelaTop bring up.

I know this is the internet and I'm just an outsider coming onto this forum. You're invited to chat with me and participate, and thanks for reading if you're not interested.

My email is robotrelationships@gmail.com

Marco

Will your paper be published here?