Westworld IRL: This Company Has Developed Robotic Heads for Sex Androids... and They're Just Beginning

With more people identifying as digisexuals and seeking companionship, connection, and emotional satisfaction solely or primarily through technological means, more companies will embrace and advance the technologies that meet those needs. As such, it is only a matter of time before the burgeoning sex doll industry – whose engineers easily rival those at DARPA – generates the first iteration of a truly mechanical companionate robot. Now, DS Doll Robotics , a Chinese technology company, has developed the first robotic head for its line of silicone dolls, adding a new layer of humanoid realism for digisexuals or those who seek such experiences.GIF created from video provided by DSDollRoboticsThe heads, which feature hand-painted silicone skin to be as lifelike as the dolls for which they are intended, can be controlled with either an app or games controller and are capable of producing a wide range of facial expressions and movements.Courtesy DSDollRoboticsAlthough it's unclear what the final price of the robotic head will be, a deposit of £300 ($377.00 at time of writing) is required to secure either of the two soon-to-be-released models (one is just the head, while the other is attached to a [ NSFW link ] and shoulders).Can they talk? No, not exactly: a DS Doll Robotics press release notes that the technology although the technology can access MP4s of songs or recorded voices, it is not yet capable of independent speech, per se. That would require the addition of a AI component, which they seem to be working on.According to the press release,"Research and development is currently underway for a Second Generation Robotic Head which will be able to converse via a Siri-style interaction, answering questions from a programmed database on the internet. This doll can move her neck and follow sound, as well as be automated to complete a range of actions including blinking or nodding – and even control devices such as the air conditioning or lights in your home."On a related note, the company's website reveals that humanoid "service" robots , intended to be deployed at "offices, stores, conferences, and events," are being concurrently developed.Courtesy DSDollRoboticsPhotos from the DS website show a variety of dolls starting from £999 (apprx $1256.00), and ranging in height from 158 - 167 cm (5'2" - 5'6"), the latter of which weighs just 32 kg (70.5 lbs). 21 different female faces are available, as are two male faces. Although a partial male body was shown in a press kit sent to Outer Places, it did not appear in the "shop now" section of the site.Courtesy DSDollRoboticsCourtesy DSDollRoboticsDS Doll Robotics' newest model, The Evolution, is priced at £3495 ($4395.00) and features a "sophisticated metal skeleton and joining system that not only provides a reliable structural support for the doll but (also) allows for full range of motion just like their human counterparts." If videos provided by DS Doll Robotics are any indication, that "full range of motion" will likely be fully automated sooner than later.GIF created from video provided by DSDollRoboticsIt doesn't take much imagination to envision either a post-scarcity world where people are seen at cafés and in parks with these types of humanoids or a dystopia where such creations are enslaved as chattel by a wealthy ruling class. Whatever the future holds for digisexuality, it will be up to humans to make ethical decisions surrounding new technology.For more on DS Doll Robotics, check out their website or Instagram.