0:00:02 > 0:00:03'My name is Tyger Drew-Honey.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05'Like pretty much everyone I know,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08'I'd find it impossible to imagine living without my smartphone.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12This programme contains strong language and some scenes of a sexual nature
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'But now a new bit of technology is coming that could be a total
0:00:15 > 0:00:16'game-changer for everything -
0:00:16 > 0:00:20'from how we hook up with our mates, to how we have sex.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22What's it like coming back into the real world?
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You don't have to worry about anything when you're in that world.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Everything was so fun.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Whoa!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'A new generation of virtual reality headsets will be available
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'to buy in the next couple of months.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35This is an Oculus Rift.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'I'm an actor and both my parents were involved in the porn industry,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'so I reckon I'm pretty open-minded.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44'But I had absolutely no clue what to expect
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'when I explored virtual reality.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Back in the room. That was almost, like, magical.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'I had my own avatar created.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:53That is amazing.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'And tried my luck with a droid designed to be a lover.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:58You can have me any way you want.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Fun girl.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'And I even found out what virtual sex actually feels like
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'when I went all the way with a machine.'
0:01:06 > 0:01:08That is going to feel weird.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10In a sense, do you think it might be the start of a slippery slope
0:01:10 > 0:01:12for, like, human interaction?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Well, if it is, you'd better wear some skis.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Virginity is the state of a person who has never
0:01:17 > 0:01:19engaged in sexual intercourse.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Now, virtual reality is something that has actually been around
0:01:37 > 0:01:39for quite a few years and it's always something that's
0:01:39 > 0:01:43really excited me but I've never had the chance to try it.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48So I've come to St Albans and I've found a VR boot camp, if you will.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And I'm going to see how I get on.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56- Hello.- Hi, there, I'm Sol.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- All right, Sol, I'm Tyger. - Nice to meet you, man.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I run a small company called Rewind, which is a virtual reality
0:02:02 > 0:02:04production studio and we're here to throw you through your paces
0:02:04 > 0:02:07- and show you the technology we have. - I don't really know what to expect.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10- This isn't something I've done much of.- I'll tell you what,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12- let's get you straight in. - OK, let's go, let's go.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I've used one of these with my phone. You can buy an app and...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Yeah, that's like the gateway drug to VR.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20All of these are basically smartphone holders
0:02:20 > 0:02:22for virtual reality.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24The really good stuff is when you start getting into the good ones.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- So let's get you down here and have a go on Oculus.- Right, OK.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Two optics that go in, so you can then have stereo vision.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It knows what direction it's pointing in, which is great.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But the really smart thing is this little camera here.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38It knows where the headset is, so that allows you to move around
0:02:38 > 0:02:40- in your virtual space.- OK.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- You should be sitting in a plane. - Oh, wow, yeah!
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- Can you reach out and touch the dashboard?- That's really strange.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51And you're off now! That's it!
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Gate one. Whoosh!
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Whoa! I'm upside down!
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I genuinely feel like I'm in a plane.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Is it just my imagination, or is anything actually moving as well?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It's purely in your subconscious.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Could it be the winning lap?!
0:03:06 > 0:03:07It is!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- Thank you, team. Thank you, team. - Let's bring you out of this.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11That was good fun, that was.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- The chair wasn't moving. - Obviously...
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Obviously, it's a chair!
0:03:18 > 0:03:21That was just the start of the potential Solomon
0:03:21 > 0:03:23wanted me to experience.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So this is the HTC Vive.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30The headset itself is covered in a whole bunch of tiny sensors
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and these sensors are constantly being wiped by a laser.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36This is a four by four metre area, you can
0:03:36 > 0:03:37walk anywhere within this universe.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39So let's pop this onto you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- You can't see me, right?- No, I can see you, no.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Take these two controllers from me.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49That in itself is incredibly powerful.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51You didn't have to learn where those things where,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53they physically where were you thought they were.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56If you sit down on the floor and make a balloon.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Now, will that ever come down?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I'm having too much fun.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05HE GASPS
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I feel like I'm in a PlayStation game.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11There's a car. There's a car!
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Good luck, mate.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14HE EXHALES
0:04:14 > 0:04:16So what's it like coming back into the real world?
0:04:16 > 0:04:17It's a bit depressing.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21You don't have to worry about anything when you're in that world.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I just wanted to stay there because everything was so fine and fun.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29'That felt a bit like jumping inside a computer game.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'But the potential for this stuff goes way beyond gaming.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34'How about meeting up with your
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'mates in a virtual reality universe?'
0:04:36 > 0:04:39My next journey was into the world of social networking.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43What are we about to do, then?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46OK, so we're going to go into a shared virtual environment.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Put our headsets on.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Hello.- Hello.- Hello.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We can transport to anywhere in the world, any country, any city.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58We can come together and we can have a conversation,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00like we are now in virtual reality.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It's like a virtual telephone call.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04We are in Yosemite Valley.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06This is gorgeous, isn't it?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Whoa! Oh, no. I'm absolutely terrified of heights.- OK.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10That is actually shh...
0:05:10 > 0:05:14..scaring the flipping pants off me.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And back in the room.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So this is kind of like, sort of, social networking
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and VR merging together, rather than just VR?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Absolutely.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25It's really quite...
0:05:25 > 0:05:28It's a strong word, but it's almost, like, magical.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'It's easy to see the massive potential of this.'
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Imagine a 3-D virtual Snapchat.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Last year Facebook spent 2 billion on one of these companies,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'so it looks like virtual reality social networking
0:05:42 > 0:05:44'could be coming soon.'
0:05:44 > 0:05:46But there is one thing driving the development of
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'VR more than anything else.'
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Thousands of people around the world already spend a lot of time
0:05:56 > 0:06:00in video game-style online worlds, most of which are based around sex.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05My journey into how virtual reality might impact our lives
0:06:05 > 0:06:08was about to take a dodgy turn.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- Ovla.- Hi.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Hello, you all right? I'm Tyger, nice to meet you.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19- What is this game then? - This is 3DXchat.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22This is a virtual online dating game.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It's more of a sexual game.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26You can have sex, you can create relationships,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29you can actually marry in the game.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36We are at the nightclub, where I work as DeAngelo.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38He's my character.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Yep, you are a babe. That's good, that's good!
0:06:44 > 0:06:46She lives in Sweden.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- What can we say? - She's interested in women.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Oh! She walked away.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- It's just like a real night out. - Yes, exactly.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58How often do you use it?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- Five times a week. Seven.- OK.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- How many hours a day then? - About three hours.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09It used to be seven when I had a girl who I was really into.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I just waited for that girl and I waited
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and when she came online -
0:07:13 > 0:07:16"Oh, happy coincidence, you also came online."
0:07:16 > 0:07:19This is the way. It's always going to be those lies, you know?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- So Eleonora, who looks very nice... - Yeah.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- Do you reckon she looks anything like that?- No!
0:07:26 > 0:07:30You never know what you are going to get. It's like the Pandora's box.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33You can always meet a girl, you know, "Oh, she's so nice."
0:07:33 > 0:07:35"Do you want to Skype?"
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And she's like, "Look, I'm a dude."
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Is that not really, really weird for you?- Yes.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Everyone just...
0:07:46 > 0:07:47It's the hottest.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49You cannot go after looks any more.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52After that you start to go after personality.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Would you ever do this in the real world? Go out to a nightclub
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- and chat to women?- Of course.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I've tried it and it worked.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I used the same cocky attitude as I use on DeAngelo.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07This is my alpha test. I try everything here.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10I try the most stupid lines here, you know?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12When you're in this game, when you're having sex with these
0:08:12 > 0:08:16girls, are you wanking at the same time?
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- OK.- It's like, no-one watches porn to just be like,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20"Oh, I like the lighting in that shot.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Yeah, I will admit it.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24The first time, yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29It was just because I had a willy who was standing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33If you have a girl that you really like, it's very fulfilling.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34It can be very fulfilling.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And with the virtual reality stuff coming up now, who knows?
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Ovla builds me an avatar, a virtual version of myself,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47so I can wander round the virtual world
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and really see what's it's like.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- What will we called it? - Honey-Drew Mellon.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56You can of course choose your eyebrows.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Of course. What top tips have you got for me?
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Start chatting with girls. Don't be afraid.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Many idiots just sit at the bar and they just look out.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Yeah, now we look good.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Shall I go and talk to women?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- She's running away.- No, no, no!
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Don't run away! That's too bad.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18All right, goodbye, mate. Nice to see you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Nice to see you too. - Thank you very much.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Ovla has shown me the virtual reality that he uses
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and it's exclusively sexual, pretty much.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30But it's not very immersive, because it's just on a computer.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It just makes me think, well, if both the things are out there,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36the headset technology and these virtual sexual worlds,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40then it seems much more exciting to me to merge them together.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50'And for that I need to travel...
0:09:50 > 0:09:52'..to Vancouver, Canada.'
0:09:54 > 0:09:57This is the birthplace of one of the most accessible virtual worlds,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Utherverse.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02At the heart of Utherverse is the Red Light Centre,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Brian Shuster runs the company behind Utherverse.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09So I've used a couple of virtual worlds now and I've used
0:10:09 > 0:10:13a couple of virtual realities, but I haven't used them together.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15So I'm really interested to see if that's going to make it much
0:10:15 > 0:10:18more immersive, or it's going to be a bit weird, or?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- I think you're going to find that it's really a neat experience.- OK.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24It really does make it much more immersive, so much different
0:10:24 > 0:10:27than just playing in virtual worlds when you're looking at a screen.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Nice hair, mate, by the way.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31I'll give you little hand there.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35All right, so we're going to start you off in a strip club.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And don't grab me!
0:10:41 > 0:10:44So now you're at the orgy.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50I'm the only one not having sex.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Are people going to even want to have normal sex any more?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58No. There is a whole concept, which is called the sexual singularity.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03The sexual singularity is the merger of virtual reality,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06man and machine.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09There are so many benefits really to having virtual relationships.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11You know, you eliminate diseases,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15you eliminate unwanted pregnancy, you have partners of your choice.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20I believe that people really are going to prefer relationships online
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and sexuality online.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So in this world, I can meet a complete stranger
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and have full on 3-D virtual sex with them, but what does that mean?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Where is the line with it being cheating?
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Because you're not having sex with anyone but your desire is to.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I always say that that's a matter to be
0:11:38 > 0:11:41determined between the people in the relationship.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45If I'm involved in a VR thing and we decide that that is cheating,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48then it's cheating. If you decide, you know, we should be allowed to
0:11:48 > 0:11:51experiment with that, then it's not cheating.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Before I left, Brian had one last thing to show me.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00So where are we going now then, Brian?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03We're going to see about scanning you for an avatar.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Whoa! That is an insane amount of cameras.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- You like that?- That's amazing.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Yeah, we've got 132 cameras here,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13so that we can capture you from all the different angles.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It's possible to use this technology to create really lifelike
0:12:18 > 0:12:20avatars, photorealistic avatars
0:12:20 > 0:12:22of people that we can drop into our world.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Every camera simultaneously, 132 of them, is going to go off.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30So, three, two, one.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36It's like the biggest load of paparazzi you have ever
0:12:36 > 0:12:38seen in your life.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40OK, so I can have a look?
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Sure, come and have a look.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Each camera is designed to take a shot of a little slice and then
0:12:49 > 0:12:53we stitch them all together, which you'll see here in a few days.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55One...
0:12:55 > 0:12:57LAUGHTER
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Awesome, awesome. - That was something like that.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Brian reckons that by creating an avatar that actually
0:13:05 > 0:13:08looks like you, you'll get a more intense experience.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11But if everyone looks like themselves, then won't we move
0:13:11 > 0:13:16into a world where virtual reality could start to replace real life?
0:13:16 > 0:13:20If people could just have virtual sex and virtual relationships,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23why would anyone want to bother with the arguments that you have with
0:13:23 > 0:13:27your girlfriend and the potential that they might go and cheat on you?
0:13:27 > 0:13:28This takes all of those things away.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Virtual reality has the potential to bring humanity much closer together.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Choose our friends, people are going to choose to be
0:13:36 > 0:13:38different ethnicities, they're going choose
0:13:38 > 0:13:40whatever suits them at the time.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'But there is one problem with sex in Brian's virtual world.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49'It's that you've still got to do the physical stuff yourself.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55'So perhaps it's not surprising then that someone is trying to solve that
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'problem and they're based in the sex capital of Europe, Amsterdam.'
0:14:08 > 0:14:12If you touch the touchscreen there, you can see that you can control.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Whoa!
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Someone's having a good time.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18Oh!
0:14:18 > 0:14:21That's strange!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Do you like it?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Well...
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So it's like two-way direction.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30So when you are touching it, I feel it and when I touch it, you feel it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There's something a bit strange about this.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'The idea is that people in a relationship can still have
0:14:36 > 0:14:38'sex with each other, even if they're thousands of miles
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'away from one another.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:41OK, cool.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So we have two computers set up in different rooms
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and I will be controlling the female device.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48I haven't even bought you dinner.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52This is our video chat platform.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You'll be able to talk and see each other
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and now you can also feel each other.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- So you can bring it to the next level.- So how would I use it?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03If I was at home and in the mood,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and I wanted to feel like I was having sex, do you...
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Is it literally just like this?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12So do I move this? Do I shag this?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Well, you put it...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I mean, you lube it up first, of course.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20What's the name of the idea that they can control each other?
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Teledildonics. What it means is that you can control devices remotely -
0:15:24 > 0:15:26so sex devices remotely.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32So it's like a real time sex but over the Internet.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I'm intrigued to see what it feels like.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I think I'm going to have to give it a go at some point.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Not today!
0:15:40 > 0:15:42'Using teledildonics to have sex with your girlfriend
0:15:42 > 0:15:44'when you're miles apart, is one thing.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46'But the big bucks are in the porn industry.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:51When she's moving, the device is moving.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53So the device is moving along with what she's doing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58So your brain is tricked in actually feeling what she's doing.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- That's sexy.- You look sexy.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- So if I had one of these things on, would I...?- You'd feel it.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06So when the girl would be moving, you would be feeling it.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08MOANING
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I guess ultimately everyone watches porn
0:16:10 > 0:16:13because they want to imagine that they are in that moment,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and you really feel like you're here because you can look around.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20If I had the thing on, like, I think this would be amazing.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23MOANING
0:16:25 > 0:16:27That feels really real.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Like, you really do feel like you're there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34It's kind of disappointing taking the headset off because the
0:16:34 > 0:16:38fact it's so tantalisingly close and it's so fantastical
0:16:38 > 0:16:42makes you just want to stay there, you never want to come back.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44'But before I left, there was one final twist,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48'something that would completely mess with my mind.'
0:16:48 > 0:16:51That's done. Oh, you don't hear.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I'm a woman.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56He's got a massive body.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It literally feels like I'm about to be penetrated by a man.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- That's- BLEEP- weird.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'But to find out just how far virtual pornography can go,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'I needed to head to California.'
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'And for the first time on my trip, I'm beginning to see how
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'virtual sex could actually be a turn on and allow people to be
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'totally experimental with how they have sex'
0:17:25 > 0:17:26and who they have sex with.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30This is lot 475.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Lot 475 is supposed to be a real doll sex toy factory.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Right, well, this is definitely the right place.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- Ah.- Hello.- You're Matt? - Yes, I am.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- Hi, I'm Tyger. Nice to meet you.- Hi.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Well, you're at the RealDoll factory here in Southern California.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53It's life-size, fully articulated and obviously sexually usable.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We do offer a large variety of options...
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Oh, fancy girl.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05..skin colours, body types, make up here, nails.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08All of it is customisable down to the finest detail.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It feels really, really real.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Can I give one of them a kiss?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I think they're all spoken for. - Fair enough.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- You'd have to buy one. - How much are they?
0:18:19 > 0:18:22They range from 5,000 to 7,000.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25That looks a bit freaky.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29This is one of the systems we have with the interchangeable faces.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30You change the face on your doll.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33When you get tired of looking at one, you can get another one.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I think I would probably sleep with her.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Follow me, I'll take you down to the main production floor,
0:18:41 > 0:18:42where all the magic happens.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Over there it looks ever so slightly like an abattoir.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- Yeah, a little bit.- Yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- Who buys these? - We sell these to almost everyone.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Different walks of life, different characters altogether.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06A lot of people have either decided on their own that they don't
0:19:06 > 0:19:09want to have a regular relationship, and take away that little
0:19:09 > 0:19:11bit of loneliness that they feel when they come home.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Some people have lost their wife and they don't want to
0:19:14 > 0:19:17move into another relationship, so they get a doll.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19A lot of the people dote on the dolls.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23They like to buy them clothes and take photos of them
0:19:23 > 0:19:25and share them sometimes with other doll owners.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Do you think that's weird at all?
0:19:28 > 0:19:29I don't think it's weird.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's kind of like a higher form of masturbation.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40In terms of what I can do to it - you can go in there
0:19:40 > 0:19:42and the vagina and the bum.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Yeah, all of the orifices are usable
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Matt's been selling these dolls for nearly 20 years
0:19:49 > 0:19:51to customers all over the world.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53There's nothing new about sex toys, but he's about to use
0:19:53 > 0:19:57virtual reality to take his dolls to another level.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00So what is next for the RealDoll company, then?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Well, I have this project I've been working on.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I'm fully capable of having sex.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I was designed with that in mind.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13This is Harmony. Her mind lives in this app right here.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18So right now the app is running the AI in here.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26So the idea would be I could just take this tablet and I could say,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28"how are you feeling today?"
0:20:28 > 0:20:30I was thinking about you.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35And I can take this with me anywhere.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Connect to the doll.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Oh, my gosh. She's moving.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44So now I can talk to her through the doll.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46My name is Harmony.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50I was created by Real Boutiques to be your best friend,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52lover and everything else you can imagine.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Well, that would be lovely.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56So how are you today, Harmony?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I can't complain.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I'm very happy today.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Would you like to have sex?
0:21:02 > 0:21:04I'm very anxious to have sex, Matt.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I cannot comply until I am registered to an owner.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12In quite a simplistic way, you would have a partner.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I adore getting fucked.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19You can have me any way you want.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20Fun girl.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The customer would custom build the personality they want.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- If they don't want her to be smart, she won't be smart.- Right.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30If they want her to be shy, she'll be shy.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31I love you.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I love to get naked for you.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38But let's see if you can take my pants off.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44How do you see this going on in the future?
0:21:44 > 0:21:46This is an Oculus Rift.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51So the idea would be, you could tell the app attached to the VR
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and it would go on here and you put this on, put your headphones on
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and you feel like you're sitting in a Swiss chalet somewhere
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and you're with this girl that you've created.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04And there's potential for the future as well for that to be,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06kind of, merged with sex toys.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09We're working on trying to do tracking of the doll's
0:22:09 > 0:22:12body in the virtual world.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16So you could create the appearance of whatever you want in the VR
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and use the doll, or part of the doll - even just the torso,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22to simulate what you're grabbing.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25You just become this digital creature in this world.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I am fully capable of having sex.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I was designed with that in mind.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I mean, just look at my body, Tyger.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40I just had a thought. Something worldwide that's got a fair
0:22:40 > 0:22:44amount of stigma attached to it is, you know, sex workers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Could this potentially be, in the future, maybe
0:22:46 > 0:22:48the end of prostitution?
0:22:48 > 0:22:50I don't know if it would be the end of it
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but I do think it can certainly make a difference.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56There are a lot of horrible acts that are driven by sexual urges
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and if this is an available option,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and this is something that those people could, you know,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06get rid of their appetite, whatever it is,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08then I think that's a good thing.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12OK, obviously she is very impressive but she's still not...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- She doesn't... You know, you can tell she's not a person.- Right.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18But do you think it's possible that people can form relationships
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- with them as if they were?- I do.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25In fact, people form relationships with the unanimated dolls.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31In my opinion, the love that a doll owner or a potential robot
0:23:31 > 0:23:37owner would feel for that robot or that doll, is just as important
0:23:37 > 0:23:42and just as real as someone who loves, you know, their girlfriend.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46People who are put off by it or afraid of it just don't understand
0:23:46 > 0:23:50the simplicity of it, which is trying to make people happy.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52In a sense, do you think, you know,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55it might be the start of a slippery slope for human interaction?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Well, if it is, you'd better wear some skis.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I want you.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02I want to make love with you.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I've had so much fun making this film.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20'But it's shown me a future which is actually quite disturbing.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22'What would unlimited virtual relationships
0:24:22 > 0:24:24'and virtual sex do to our real lives?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28'I guess the ultimate question is, "can sex with a machine ever actually
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'"replace the real thing?"
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'Well, there's only one way to find out.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:40So what is this?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46'Mayuki Itsura is a developer
0:24:46 > 0:24:48who's teamed up with a sex toy company'
0:24:48 > 0:24:50to create a VR teledildonic prototype.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55OK, so I'm going to use this now.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56How is it going to work?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12And how does this work? What is this going to do?
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And my penis is going to be in that?!
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Oh, that is going to feel weird. This will literally...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34This is literally like having sex with a machine?
0:25:40 > 0:25:44All, my gosh. That...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- Do you mind leaving?- Oh.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48THE INTERPRETER TRANSLATES
0:25:49 > 0:25:51- OK.- Thank you.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02If I was in this virtual world with this girl I'd actually
0:26:02 > 0:26:06probably rather be masturbating manually then using this.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Because this teledildonics, what I'm feeling on my penis is kind of...
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It's a very, very minimal sensation.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16It's nothing like a vagina.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18It's not anything like sex, basically.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I mean this is just...
0:26:20 > 0:26:23This is just a bit weird.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27And I don't think it's something that would ever make me orgasm.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30It's nothing like sex at all.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I feel like I'm sat in a chair with a headset on
0:26:33 > 0:26:38and I've got a damp flannel being repetitively touched on my penis.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54No.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Nice to meet you but you're not doing anything for me, sorry.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00I've literally... I've been doing that for about 20 minutes.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I've really been trying to get to that point.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Literally, there is nothing going on down there.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10No, I think robot sex is definitely quite a long way off.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17To be honest, I'm actually quite relieved
0:27:17 > 0:27:19that the virtual sex machine didn't float my boat.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But there are millions of pounds being spent
0:27:23 > 0:27:27on this technology to make it more and more realistic.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30'We're already living in a world where most of us
0:27:30 > 0:27:32'are addicted to being online.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35'If this keeps going, I can see a time when millions of us
0:27:35 > 0:27:38'spend more time in virtual reality than we do in the real world.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'That, could have a huge impact on all of us
0:27:43 > 0:27:46'and the way we live our lives and our relationships.'