http://www.arlanrobotics.com/about/
The Robotic Dream
I was always surprised by the lack of progress in the area of androids by large multinationals given their prominence in contemporary media with productions like Westworld, Caprica and i-Robot showing glimpses of what is to come.
Search for 'sex robot' on any popular search engine and you will find millions of results, there is a lot of fascination with the topic.
Following every detail of breakthroughs online it became apparent no large company was willing to break-ground on this area, so in typical British style, decided to take this project on myself and Arlan Robotics was formed.
I was fascinated with the idea of a robotic partner and how its physical presence would affect you when it became intimate. The results were so compelling from my early prototypes I was instantly hooked on the challenge of seeing this project to fruition.
I realised that with this product you will not see the face when it is in-use so the possibilities are endless. Someone can match the clothes, hairstyle and perfume of anyone they choose to, like a celebrity or the person in the office and virtually have an intimate experience with them whenever they like.
Breaking the Social Norm
I understand the awkward nature of the subject and how it must be approached delicately so this was a tricky idea to sell to people. What helped drive me on was after the incredible results of the first prototypes, I read a statistic online that up to 1 out of 3 males below the age of 30 have never had a physical relationship with a partner.
That statistic seemed really sad and I wondered just how many lonely males there are out there who would never experience something as powerful as what I had emulated. I knew this product had to be made and become available, it was a real ambition.
The Current State of Adult Male Sex Toys
The adult sex toy industry, although vast, is rather limited with realistic, robotic droids. There are a few being developed that run in to the tens of thousands of pounds which seems a very high entry level. I went about taking what I consider to be the ultimate intimate act and recreating it in every detail from a precise engineering perspective.
I was shocked at how sterile and cold male sex toys appear given the technology available in the 21st Century.
Using my engineering degree background it became obvious there was definite room for improvement in this market and fantastic opportunity to not just raise the bar, but launch it miles high.
Creating the Perfect Model
Humans are basically machines that follow the same laws of motion as robots. Recreating quite a basic action was not overly complicated but again I was surprised how awkward and un-intuitive current market solutions are. Rings that vibrate, strange containers to house genitalia in and airtight containers which provide such high air pressure that insertion or extraction is overly intense. Surely this cannot be the peak of evolutionary design? It isn't and I have proved it with my design.
So ignoring the vibrating coils of beads, the awkward airtight sleeves and bizarre current solutions I scrapped it all and went back to the basics. I looked in to what gives the most realistic sensation.
Internal Structure
Thankfully there were quite a few off-the-shelf solutions to this first problem, soft silicone mouths with delicate tongues and also semi-rigid teeth that gave a fantastic feeling.
The problem with all these tubular designs was the internal air pressure which creates a vacuum seal whenever anything is inserted in the cavity. When these products are advertised they try to sell this as a 'feature' however when using the product for real the air pressure inside prevents normal entry so that the product is trying its best to repel anything pushed in to it.
This is not a pleasant experience, the flip side is that if that internal pressure is in some way relieved by air escaping then it provides a very strong suction effect - again sold as a 'feature'.
Well any male who has witnessed first hand a real oral interaction will know that this vacuum suction is only desired in small doses and very controlled. Constant suction just provides unwanted friction and discomfort and feels completely unnatural like being hooked up to a vacuum cleaner. This ruins any soft delicate sensations provided by the silicone and so this needed to be solved.
I discovered the perfect way was to allow air to escape from within the tubing, allowing free movement of air provided a smooth swallowing feeling that felt like a real interaction.
Using internal tubing I also engineered an escape route for the air that could be sealed with the tip of a finger in-use, allowing a toe-curling suction whenever desired.
Outer Model
I was satisfied with the way the internals now I had to solve the head issue. As I mentioned before the current products on the market were very sterile and functional, plastic tubes or mechanisms with no thought on the physical reality of sharing this moment with another individual. There was only ever one solution to this and that was housing the internals inside a human shaped head.
The hair had to be either 100% real or at least a percentage real so the feel was correct. Also the hair needed to be growing out from the head and firmly rooted to allow hands and fingers to be plunged into it, for ponytails to be tied or ballerina buns to be set to match whatever fantasy was desired.
This delicate scene cannot be matched by cold plastics or media. You need to feel that sensation of glorious hair spilling over and flowing on to your body or taking hold of that soft shampooed ponytail and pulling it in to you to truly capture that act.
The face stretches allowing wider insertion if required and the area immediately around the mouth is sealed with silicone that is supplied with the product - deeper in it is permanently sealed watertight with high strength sealant. This outer layer is best peeled off and replaced in regular use when it degrades. The process is quick drying and just involves dabbing liquid silicone around the mouth and allowing it to dry in a few layers, this can be sped up with a hairdryer if required.
The seal around the mouth is serviceable but not as tidy as I had hoped, I am still researching different bonding agents and will update all future droids if a more attractive solution is found.
Mechanical Design
Now I was happy with the way the actual product worked, it was in a functional state and is perfect for either mounting fixed on a desk to use standing or to take to bed. Just having that soft hair to style before is all the build up needed, as a stand-alone product this is worth it alone. I still felt there was more needed to have that perfect experience so I started work on the core mechanics.
I modeled head movement from the neck and tried to replicate the perfect motion that is so pleasurable in actual human contact. This is not a straight forward/backward action in practice but a gentle rolling coupled with the in and out movement so that the pressure shifts slightly during motion.
Anyone who has felt that gentle rhythmic brushing of the forehead on their chest as the hair swishes back and forth over your thighs will understand how important this is. Counter-weighting with springs was required in the design so the cycle was smooth in use. Once the neck movement had been established I researched the best methods of powering my product.
Mains voltage was needed to ensure enough force was delivered to smoothly cycle the head when it was in active use. The force needed to be just enough but not too great to risk injury. There was enough latency in the system so that if required the product could be stopped with ease just by applying extra pressure on the head. There was another important area and that was speed control. A variable speed dial is included so that at the twist of a dial the motion runs from stop to slow start right up to a punishing 100-200 revolutions per minute. This allows customisation in-use and a perfect sync can be achieved to provide a very pleasurable experience.
Ergonomics and Aesthetics
I wanted to allow the product to be adjustable to allow for all angles and heights so I included a configurable stand.
The product can be used seated on the floor, in bed or even in a chair or wheelchair as it can be strapped around a chair placed opposite with the band provided. Of course additional height can be gained from placing the product on objects but it is better to have a pre-set feature if in regular use.
Another important feature was discretion. Although this kind of interaction is common in all cultures it is still socially awkward for most individuals to admit to. I wanted a design that could be easily broken down in to indistinguishable parts so that no unwanted attention could be drawn to it. If it was a full size model it would be far harder to hide if guests came around for instance.
The images above show how the droid first has legs fitted which are just leggings with rolled towels inside pushed in to boots. Then a blanket is dropped over the body to give a fuller shape and help reduce noise, finally the coat is placed over the top and arms positioned.
The reality of having this life-sized realistic droid in the same room positioned in front of you that looks, smells and moves in a completely realistic way is a sensory overload.
This product can be dis-assembled in seconds with the head neatly zipped inside a cushion (provided with each head) and the main robotic assembly looking nondescript. In fact I think the body section reminds me of the wedge shaped flipper robots in the old TV robotic war games.
Noise was a concern and when I watched another mechanical adult toy pounding away in an online video like a hammer drill I was unsure if this could be resolved. Thankfully my design is not so noisy, it is not whisper quiet as it is mechanical in nature but with a folded blanket over the body it is inaudible outside a closed door especially if some light background music is playing.
Original Intentions and State of the Product Now
The product I developed was originally intended for use with the rapidly growing Virtual Reality market, however, the end result was so shockingly realistic that additional media was not required for an intense experience.
The model is so realistic, especially in motion, that my wife refuses to enter the room when it is set-up she feels very uncomfortable around it. It has 'presence' when set up so you feel the space is occupied by another person. Media of course can be viewed during use and as the product has a speed adjuster it can be set and adjusted on-the-fly. A stretch goal is to have the product app controlled to pre-set a desired program either synced to media or to your own desires and needs.
Production Status
The product is ready for manufacture right away with approximately one month lead-time. The expected shipping dates are liberal to allow for any unforeseen supply issues but realistically I would expect products to ship earlier than stated.
If the crowdfunding reaches it's goal and the product is selling well then additional staff will be hired to cope with demand. I looked in to long term manufacture in China but believe the best solution is to import parts and keep the assembly within the UK easily within my control. I have manufactured and sold hundreds of peripherals for the VR market for the past 12 months and have a sound working knowledge of supply and demand so the delivery dates on the page are accurate for my capabilities. My degree is in Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering so I am confident delivering on all pledges.
The Future
My next project will push the boundaries even further and I already have initial designs in the works but that will be for another year. Thank you for reading and I wish you a bright future.
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