Dominic Choy of Cammeray, New South Wales, wants to replace real sex with an online robotic experience, New Scientist Magazine reports. He proposes a lifelike flexible mannequin covered with imitation skin.
Servo motors move its limbs and other body parts in response to control signals both from the Internet and from touch and sound sensors on its body. Two people with matching mannequins connect over the Internet, wearing virtual-reality visors so they can see and hear each other. Couples can get together from opposite ends of the Earth--or they could program the system so that one participant resembles their partner's favourite celebrity.
Choy applied last April for a patent on the technology and was granted U.S. patent WO 00/59581 in October, according to the patent application.