STEVENAGE, United Kingdom — E&T (Engineering and Technology), the monthly magazine for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), has published a buyer’s guide for those interested in purchasing a companion doll.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, sales of love dolls have dramatically increased, according to the article's author, Louise Murray. "One producer, Abyss Creations, claims a 75% uplift in sales during the various lockdowns," she writes.
According to Murray’s research, the majority of love dolls sold are purchased by men. China-based Exdoll crafts close to 400 dolls per month with a majority designed to look like women, an imbalance that Murray argues might be connected to China having many more men than women.
The author also points out that many of the dolls have proportions similar to a Barbie doll. A customer can typically select from a range of skin tones, hair colors and interchangeable faces. However, she warns, prospective customers should be aware that the dolls are expensive, ranging from $6,000 to $15,000, and frequently come with long waiting lists.
Murray identifies the issue of storage as an overlooked aspect of owning a companion doll; where does one keep the doll when it isn't being used? She notes this concern might not be a problem if one lives completely alone, but it could be a problem if a maid unexpectedly finds a human-sized doll stuffed in a closet.
Some models come with "an optional convertible bench seat,” Murray states. “A bit like a cross between a coffin, a blanket chest and a window seat.”
Murray also seeks to dismantle the term "sexbot."
"The term 'sexbot' is a bit of a misnomer, and is more marketing ploy than technical fact. There is certainly no robotics wizardry going on below the neck in any of the current crop of products," she states. While some dolls have mechanical features and can be connected to computers, they are nowhere near the sophisticated machines that populate science fiction.
The full article can be found here.
