Teenagers may lose their virginity to sex robots in the future, a leading expert predicted yesterday.

Professor Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of robotics at Sheffield University, warned that android sex dolls may have damaging consequences for society.

He said that just as the rise of internet porn took the Government by surprise, a similarly seismic robot revolution is on the way – with far-reaching consequences.

Professor Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of robotics at Sheffield University, warned that android sex dolls may have damaging consequences for society if teens lose their virginity to them (file image)

Professor Sharkey, speaking at the Cheltenham Science Festival, explained that he was 'fairly liberal about sex'.

But he explained: 'It's not a problem having sex with a machine. But what if it's your first time, your first relationship?

'What do you think of the opposite sex then? What do you think a man or a woman is?'

He added: 'It will get in the way of real life, stopping people forming relationships with normal people.'

Life-like sex robot dolls with limited speech recognition are already on the market in the US and Japan.

Devices such as the Roxxxy (pictured), which come with an optional 'talking' feature, can currently be bought online for around £7,000

SEX ROBOTS COULD BE A BEDROOM STAPLE IN JUST TEN YEARS Sex robots could become a staple of the bedroom within ten years as the devices become more lifelike and affordable. As well as sex robots, 'companion' devices are being used to provide stimulation to elderly people in countries like Japan. Pepper, for example, is a robot that was created two years ago. The humanoid robot is designed with the ability to read certain emotions from analysing expressions and voice tones. Professor Sharkey said there was evidence that companion devices were also being use by parents to keep their children company. Advertisement

Professor Sharkey said these dolls should not be sold to under-16s, but would inevitably fall into the hands of teenagers.

He said: 'Sex robots are accessible now and certainly [will be common] within the next ten years. I think there will be an age limit. Certainly there should be, but if your dad or mum had one, you could sneak in and use it.'

Robot sex dolls currently available vary, but a variety called TrueCompanion – which comes as Roxxxy for the female model and Rocky for the male – sell for £6,900 in the US. The dolls can be customised and the firm offers a plethora of skin tones, faces and hair colours that clients can choose from.

However, truly autonomous robots that can 'think' and act like human beings are still some years away.

Another robot expert, Dr Kathleen Richardson, of De Montfort University, called for the sex dolls to be banned from being imported to Britain.

She told the BBC last year: 'Sex robots seem to be a growing focus in the robotics industry and the models that they draw on – how they will look, what roles they would play – are disturbing indeed.

'We think that the creation of such robots will contribute to detrimental relationships between men and women, adults and children, men and men and women and women.'