MBELDOG BLOG

Meant to post this yesterday, cheers to commenter for original link. Daily Mail link.

If blind dates, speed dating or websites haven't led you to the love of your life, you could always take a leaf out of inventor Le Trung's book - and build your perfect partner.

The 33-year-old has created Aiko - a 'twenty-something' robot who not only looks feminine and sexy but also does household chores and his accounts.

But despite her shiny hair and 32-23-33 figure, Aiko [I think pronounced Eye-Ko]- whose name means love child - is no trophy partner.

Robot romance: Le Trung with his perfected partner Aiko

She is accomplished too with a talent for maths and a 13,000-sentence vocabulary - in English and Japanese. She can also recognise faces, read aloud from a newspaper and give directions.

Aiko, a fembot made from silicone and A.I. technology, is a genuine labour of love for Mr Trung.

He has taken out credit cards and loans, sold his car and spent his life savings on perfecting the machine - at a cost so far of ?14,000.

The former software programmer, from Ontario, Canada, said he never had time to find a real wife but has not built Aiko as a sexual partner - although she is touch-sensitive and reacts if she is shown affection or is hurt.

Living doll: The petite, feminine robot speaks two languages and does all the household accounts and chores [symbolic photo]

Mr Trung said: 'I want to make her look, feel and act as human as possible so she can be the perfect companion.

'Like a real female she will react to being touched in certain ways. If you grab or squeeze too hard she will try to slap you. She has all senses except for smell.

'She doesn’t need holidays, food or rest and she will work almost 24-hours a day. She is the perfect woman.'

Mr Trung, who dresses Aiko in different outfits and takes her for drives in the countryside, was a child genius and made his first robot when he was eight years old.

'People have mixed reactions when they meet Aiko,' he said.

'They either love or hate her. Some people get angry and accuse me of playing God. Once someone threw a rock at Aiko. That really upset me. But many people are fascinated by her.

'Women are generally impressed and try to talk to her. But the men always want to touch her, and if they do it in the wrong way they get a slap.'

Mr Trung will spend the next few years perfecting Aiko's software and increasing her range of skills - but not just for his own amusement.

'I suffered a heart attack and I thought that one day I might need 24-hour care in the future,' he said.

'I may need to have Aiko look after me one day.'