NEW LINE CINEMA Austin Powers was seduced by the alluring robotic women The Fembots in the 1997 hit

Advances in robotic sexual technology will leave traditional sex looking "very primitive," a leading academic has predicted. The high-tech sexual gadgets and gizmos will likely lead to a shift within our society and sex with robots could become a normal day-to-day occurrence within the next 50 years. Dr Helen Driscoll is a leading on authority on the psychology of sex and relationships. She believes that advances in sexual technology will trigger a fundamental change in our relationships – like those seen in hit Channel Four drama Humans and Oscar winning 2014 movie Her.

"Sex Tech is already advancing at a pace and in 50 years' time physical relationships will seem very primitive," she said. You can already order a life-like mannequin partner online. And robotic, interactive, motion-sensing technology is likely to become a key part of the sex industry within the next few years, according to Dr Driscoll.

WARNER BROS PICTURES Ashley Scott as Gigolo Jane in Steven Spielberg's science fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence

"It could really start to enable mannequin partners to 'come to life'", the University of Sunderland academic has predicted.

Sex Tech is already advancing at a pace and in 50 years' time physical relationships will seem very primitive Dr Helen Driscoll

She said: "We tend to think about issues such as virtual reality and robotic sex within the context of current norms. "But if we think back to the social norms about sex that existed just 100 years ago, it is obvious that they have changed rapidly and radically. Robophilia may be alien now, but could be normal in the near future as attitudes evolve with technology. "As virtual reality becomes more realistic and immersive and is able to mimic and even improve on the experience of sex with a human partner; it is conceivable that some will choose this in preference to sex with a less than perfect human being." Dr Driscoll adds: "People may also begin to fall in love with their virtual reality partners."

WARNER BROS Theodore Twombly develops an intense love for an computer operating system called Samantha in Her

This is an issue explored in the recent film Her, in which Joaquin Phoenix's character falls in love with an operating system. In the hit drama Humans, Anita is a robot who has sex with the father of the family that has bought her. Dr Driscoll said she believes that: "This may seem shocking and unusual now, but we should not automatically assume that virtual relationships have less value than real relationships. "The fact is, people already fall in love with fictional characters though there is no chance to meet and interact with them." Dr Driscoll has shown that there are already many people living alone, people who have not been able to find a partner or have lost a partner who virtual relationships could benefit. Virtual sexual partners may provide significant psychological benefits for them as a virtual partner will be better than no partner at all.

For those already in an intimate relationship, she warns that the psychological impact will depend on how they handle the co-existence of real and virtual relationships. She said: "Most people successfully integrate other forms of virtual reality into their lives, but virtual sex - not to mention love - will be seen by some as infidelity, and this will present real challenges to some relationships. "In the world of the future, we could well see human relationships increasingly conducted entirely online. "And, as some people start to prefer technologically enhanced virtual sex to sex with humans, we may also see greater numbers of people living alone, spending more time in virtual reality."