Realbotix : Matt McMullen's New Robotics Company Announced!

[campion]

It's got a name now, people:

Realbotix

Starting a new thread devoted to this exciting news about the new company! For any who have not yet seen the New York Times story and video:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/techn ... ldoll.html

Many amazing pieces of information to be found at that link, including:

1) Yes, you may be able to retrofit your Realdoll (and BoyToy?) with a Realbotix head, perhaps in as little as 24 months.
2) Matt has brought some hardcore robotics and software engineering folks aboard the team.
3) Realbotix seems to be focused on trying to achieve something similar to, but beyond a 'Her' (the movie) experience, using a combination of silicone love dolls, mobile technology, A.I., robotics, and both augmented and virtual realities (yes, the Oculous Rift is part of this - mind blown).
4) Realbotix believe they can circumnavigate the uncanny valley by being real but not ultra-real. The point is not to obscure the fact that these are dolls/gynoids, but rather to create the maximum emotional connection possible within the parameters of the human/gynoid relationship.
5) Rather than focusing on robotically-assisted sex, Realbotix appears to be focused initially on enhancing the emotional relationship between owner and doll, thereby bringing more closeness/eroticism to traditional love doll sex.

While Realbotix makes no claims of targeting 'Her'-level A.I. right out of the gate, I believe the set of techologies demonstrated constitutes a very, very smart direction in which to take the new company. All of these areas are going to improve exponentially over the next couple of decades: A.I., virtual reality, augmented reality, and robotics. Realbotix is fusing all four and grafting them onto what RealDoll already does well -silicone love dolls- in an effort to create the ideal artificial lover.

Pricing? Not cheap initially: heads could start at $10k and fully robotic bodies at $60k. These will obviously come down as the technology matures, but early adopters are going to need deep pockets.

In any event, looking at all of this I'd say the reality is far more interesting and intriguing than anyone here speculated when rumors first emerged. None of this is going to happen overnight, but it's an amazing vision and we're looking at a very interesting journey ahead!

[Hostage]

Fucking fantastic!!

Mr. McMullen says the Realbotix head, which can be attached to the existing RealDoll body, will cost around $10,000, and be commercially available in two years. The full body, which he will begin developing next, will most likely range from $30,000 to $60,000.

Better start saving up..

[karpos]

Meh, it will be decades before a robotic doll can emulate the level of personality that my dolls already have through my imagination. I'd rather they focus on the fully functional body personally, but that's just my opinion (and like assholes everybody has one ).

I will be happy to see what types of advances they are able to make in A.I. that might be beneficial to other related fields though. I have the feeling Matt is going to become one of the world's richest men if this takes off. Good luck to him.

[campion]

I have the feeling Matt is going to become one of the world's richest men if this takes off. Good luck to him.

The Henry Ford of the gynoid industry. Again, there is quite obviously a vast fortune to be made here, but as with the automobile, it's going to take some people with guts and vision on Wall Street and/or Silicon Valley to look at what Matt is really building here and realize the time has come to put whatever billions behind this are required to make a humanoid robot (that yes, is in certain models sex-capable, as well as wash the dishes-capable) to be something that in not too many years every home has one or more of. And like the car, they cost enough that people expect to finance them over a few years of monthly payments.

Realbotix needs a finance arm, just as every car company has. A $17,000 Realbotix RealDoll will flop, because too few people have that kind of cash on hand. To lease one for $129 a month, though? Then they'll sell thousands and thousands if not millions one day. You have to keep her in good shape for 36 months though, and $2499 is due at signing. Then you can buy a certified pre-owned Realbotix if you like. It's been cleaned and refurbished and refinished at the Realbotix dealer and has a two-year warranty. If you carelessly damage your leased gynoid, you need to pay for repairs.

These are cars. They should be sold like cars. They take you someplace you want to go.

[Sheeana]

...These are cars. They should be sold like cars. They take you someplace you want to go.

I'd be happy to take you for the ride of your life

Seriously though what Karpos said uh resonates with me... How will I compare to the 'real' automated me? Can Hostage customize how I would respond, sound..?


But it does bring me closer to my dream of world domination... My army of Terminatrixes..


Xoxoxo,
Sheeana

[upsux]

I certainly hope this doesn't distract or pull resources away from the core business as I don't see any benefit (for myself of course) since it adds nothing I'm looking for. However, I will watch with great curiosity to see how Matt pushes the limits of this technology. What he has done so far with silicone is amazing enough and for those looking for this type of upgrade I'm sure he'll deliver as he always has!

[campion]

I certainly hope this doesn't distract or pull resources away from the core business as I don't see any benefit (for myself of course) since it adds nothing I'm looking for. However, I will watch with great curiosity to see how Matt pushes the limits of this technology. What he has done so far with silicone is amazing enough and for those looking for this type of upgrade I'm sure he'll deliver as he always has!

Yeah, I hope he eats his Wheaties or meditates or does yoga or whatever else to keep himself healthy. How many companies is one guy supposed to run?

[SiliconePimp]

Basic Pleasure Model anybody???

[upsux]

The good news is that he already has an incredible staff at Abyss - so he knows how to hire and retain the right people which is an art in and of itself. I can't imagine he'd drop the ball with a venture this big but you're right, it'll be huge step and tremendous amount of responsibility. I wish him luck in everything he does, if only because he brought Taylor to me, but also because it's great to see innovators pushing the boundaries.

[AlexKnight]

This is definitely some interesting news, but quite pricey, which was to be expected really.
A lot of development cost goes into something like this, which needs to be earned back. In 5-10 years, I suspect animated heads will be much more affordable.

[AnonViking]

I used to think robotics was a cool thing to add into dolls, but lately I've come to the conclusion it's not really a good idea.

It's not that I don't want a gynoid that behaves and talks and moves like a real woman, it's just it's so far from being even remotely possible. Even the best scientists in robotics for DARPA can't get robots to walk without falling flat down. (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-unexpec ... fall-down/)

I think... we should focus on making the static doll feel and look as much real as possible.

[Anassilao]

Usually the real women go with billionaire, then, if a robotic-doll will costs until 60k, only rich people can buy it.
But, as I said before, they have real women

[campion]

I used to think robotics was a cool thing to add into dolls, but lately I've come to the conclusion it's not really a good idea.

It's not that I don't want a gynoid that behaves and talks and moves like a real woman, it's just it's so far from being even remotely possible. Even the best scientists in robotics for DARPA can't get robots to walk without falling flat down. (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-unexpec ... fall-down/)

I think... we should focus on making the static doll feel and look as much real as possible.

It's a valid point, at least, it's valid that the first gen gynoids are likely to be somewhat underwhelming and that's going to give ammo to the "if dolls were me at to talk God would have given them vocal chords" camp.

Traditional love dolls are not going away any time soon. In a sense, RealDoll has been forced to move the goal posts because the Chinese manufacturers are rapidly getting better.

No one has been able to build a humanoid robot that can walk well that isn't tethered to a power source or costs $400k. $60k for a full Realbotix body tells me that doll won't be walking. If she has a heated, self-lubricating pussy and can maybe put herself into a dozen positions for sex that'd probably be about it.

Again, these are first gen robots. They are going to have severe limitations. But Realbotix needs to exist and to start making both mistakes and making robots. One day they are going to be great and no one but a handful of guys will miss the old RealDolls. Good news for them, the used market will be flooded with dolls of every kind.

[ChikkinNoodul]

I used to think robotics was a cool thing to add into dolls, but lately I've come to the conclusion it's not really a good idea.

It's not that I don't want a gynoid that behaves and talks and moves like a real woman, it's just it's so far from being even remotely possible. Even the best scientists in robotics for DARPA can't get robots to walk without falling flat down. (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-unexpec ... fall-down/)

I think... we should focus on making the static doll feel and look as much real as possible.

If you want to see what robotics can do, you need to go to Japan. Still, bipedal locomotion is a very hard thing to do. It takes quite a while for human infants to master it.

[johnsnow]

Forget walking for now. A doll that responds sexually? Sounds cool to me. Imagine going down on your doll, feeling her get wet, nipples harden to the touch, her ribcage rises with deep breaths, eyelids clench, she orgasms, calls out, gets wetter still. same while you're fucking her? Not cool enough for you?