* Sex robot with mechanical heart
* Five built-in personalities
* Inspired by death of inventor's friend in 9/11
* Pictures: Futuristic gadget show
ROXXXY the sex robot had a coming-out party in Sin City.
In what is billed as a world first, a life-size robotic girlfriend complete with artificial intelligence and flesh-like synthetic skin was introduced to adoring fans at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.
"She can't vacuum, she can't cook but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean," TrueCompanion's Douglas Hines said.
"She's a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person."
Roxxxy stands 170cm (five feet, seven inches) tall, weighs 54.43kg (120lbs), "has a full C cup and is ready for action," according to Mr Hines, who was an artificial intelligence engineer at Bell Labs before starting TrueCompanion.
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The anatomically-correct robot has an articulated skeleton that can move like a person but can't walk or independently move its limbs.
Robotic movement is built into "the three inputs" and a mechanical heart that powers a liquid cooling system.
Roxxxy comes with five personalities. Wild Wendy is outgoing and adventurous, while Frigid Farrah is reserved and shy.
There is a young naive personality along with a Mature Martha that Mr Hines described as having a "matriarchal kind of caring". S & M Susan is geared for more adventurous types.
Aspiring partners can customise Roxxxy features, including race, hair colour and breast size. A male sex robot named Rocky is in development.
People ordering the robots online at truecompanion.com detail their tastes and interests much like online dating sites but here, the information is used to get the mechanical girlfriend in synch with her mate.
"She knows exactly what you like," Mr Hines said of Roxxxy, noting that Rocky will also come with personalities.
"If you like Porsches, she likes Porsches. If you like soccer, she likes soccer."
Roxxxy will chat with her flesh-and-blood mate, and touching her elicits comments varying according to personalities.
She is wirelessly linked to the internet for software updates, technical support and to send her man email messages.
People can customise "true companion" personalities and then share the programs with others online on the company's website, according to Mr Hines.
"Just think about wife or girlfriend swapping without actually giving the person to someone else," Mr Hines said.
"You can share the personality online."
Inspiration for the sex robot sprang from the September 11, 2001 attacks, when planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and an empty field in Pennsylvania.
"I had a friend who passed away in 9/11," Mr Hines said.
"I promised myself I would create a program to store his personality, and that became the foundation for Roxxxy True Companion."
Hines sees his creation as not only a recreational innovation but as an outlet for the shy, people with sexual dysfunction, and those who want to experiment without risk.
Roxxxy versions are priced from $US7,000 ($A7,634) to $US9,000 ($A9,815), depending on features. The sex robot is available in Europe and the US and will eventually be available globally, according to Mr Hines.