The world of sex robots is moving up a gear as soon the AI creations will be able to 'feel' human touch thanks to new 'smart skin' technology.

Well, we've heard that male sex-bots with robotic penises are on the way, so why not this?

An expert told the Sun Online that the 'TouchYou' smart skin will make sex between the doll and a human feel more natural.

This new innovation could be a huge gamechanger, not just for people who enjoy sex dolls but also for couples in long-distance relationships as this would provide a more immersive way for them to simulate each other's touch over the Internet.

Leonardo Gomes, who developed the TouchYou technology, told the newspaper he believes it will make sexual interactions between humans and the dolls more real.

At present, even the most up-to-date sex dolls on the market are only receptive to touch in specific areas - for example, the neck and genitals.

Smart skin technology will enable to the robots to 'feel' human touch. Credit: PA

The new 'smart skin' technology is very much similar to a laptop touchpad in the way it works - it has lots of tiny sensors that detect the position of the person's touch.

Force and pressure are also monitored, then it sends the information to a wireless Bluetooth device connected to the doll.

Gomes, from Brazil, explained to the Sun Online: "I explored the possibility of integrating this sensor with sex robots by attaching it to any body part, beneath the silicone skin.

"The sensor can be designed to be attached to any surface curvature, and the number and size of the electrodes (which are related to the sensor resolution or sensitivity) can easily be changed. By using the TouchYou, the sex robot would be able to feel the touch with more details than the options available today and be more responsive to human interaction.

The technology works much like a laptop touchpad. Credit: PA

"The sex robots in the market, as far as I know, are capable of measuring the force applied only to specific parts of their body, for example the neck, genitals, hips and hand, but they are not capable of measuring the touch dynamically, and this may reduce its response.

"By using a technology like the TouchYou, the interaction between sex robots and their partners would be more natural and humanlike, and the entire the robot body could be sensible."

Smart skin itself is relatively cheap to make, however the process by which it is made and programmed is pretty expensive, so the dolls won't be the cheapest items to buy.

However, the sex robot industry is one of the largest growing in the world and, according to Business Leader, is now worth £24billion ($30.1billion).