Ontario man builds real-life female android

[Praxius]

Le Trung, 33, of Brampton, Ont., built Aiko the android, seen here in an undated photo.
CTV.ca | Ontario man builds real-life female android

For as long as he can remember, Le Trung has been obsessed with robots.

"When I was a kid, we watched a lot of anime robots," the 33-year-old told CTV.ca in a phone interview from his parents' home in Brampton, Ont.

"Gundam, when I was a kid...or Volton, Macross, whatever," Trung said, rhyming off the popular Japanese anime shows that fuelled his dream to build a robot of his own.

"Your head starts thinking: 'Robot, robot.' And I had to build one."

When he was in Grade 4, he built his first robot -- an effort that got him disqualified from the science fair in which it appeared.

His first robot could move around, shoot "bullets" and had a two-sentence vocabulary, Trung said.

Unfortunately, his robot had a run-in with a curious child who was hit with one of the robot's projectiles at the science fair.

"You get disqualified if you make a little kid cry, even if the sign says 'Do not touch!'" Trung said.

That was it for robots for a while, especially when his parents disapproved of his hobby.

"They don't like me building robots for some reason," he said.

Maybe because you have the potiential to become a super villian?

"They said: 'When you grow up, you have got to be studying medicine or something. No robots.' So every time I built robots, they threw them in the garbage."

But Trung remained undeterred in his long-term goal.

As he made his way through high school and later earned three university degrees, in analytical chemistry, biochemistry and general science, he kept working on software on the side -- developing programming skills that would ultimately help him with his robot dreams.

While Trung, who has worked as a software programmer in recent years, has been unemployed for the past three months, he has worked steadily on Project Aiko -- an effort that has brought him closer than ever to reaching his dream.

From robot dream to robot reality

Aiko is a 32-kilogram female android that Trung began building in August of last year.

She is just under five feet tall, has brown eyes that can distinguish 300 faces per second and speaks 13,000 English and Japanese phrases.

Her skin is made of silicone and her insides are made of an expensive collection of wires, motors and various sensors.

In total, Trung has spent more than $20,000 developing Aiko, maxing out three credit cards in the process.

The silicone alone cost $6,000 -- but Trung insists it was a necessary expense.

He could have made Aiko out of rubber, "but it looks creepy when you touch it and it doesn't look as real," he said.

"There's nothing I can do about that, apparently silicone is more expensive than other materials."

According to the official Project Aiko website, the android can read newspapers, provide weather reports and tell different types of medicine apart.

Aiko can also distinguish between types of touch to her body and can even make toast.

But she cannot walk -- yet. Trung said he needs 14 motors worth $500 a piece to get Aiko walking, and until he gets a financial sponsor, that goal has to stay on hold.

Trung hopes to make Aiko capable of completing tasks that he hates to do.

On his wish list? Teaching Aiko to dust, to clean toilets and to clean his ears with a Q-tip.

Dude, you're ears? that's kinda gross..... what's next? Prostate Exams?

"I hate doing those chores," Trung said.

"Like for God's sake, cleaning the toilet, I hate doing that. You might as well let someone else do it, right?"

Hey slack ass, it's your crap and piss, it's called cleaning up after yourself and stop being so damn lazy.

Now you're going to have a robot with crap and pee all over their hands and perhaps mouth..... charming.

But he admits there are limits to what he can teach Aiko to do.

"Anything I don't know, she doesn't know," Trung said.

Trung said he sees many applications for Aiko-type technology.

He believes such androids could one day be used as in-home nurses, or in service roles at major airports.

Project Aiko gains attention

Since Aiko hit the news in recent weeks, Trung has been the talk of the town on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

He's been written about in Canadian newspapers, as well as the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph and Sun papers, and has been featured on CNN.

His videos of Aiko have logged over a million hits on You Tube.

"Most people think those videos are fake," Trung said, referring to Aiko's YouTube appearances.

Randy robot questions

But for all the attention that Aiko has garnered, one topic area has elicited the most questions: Anything and everything to do with sex.

And Trung has answered every question that he has been asked.

"Does she have breasts? I will say yes. Does she have nipples? I will say yes. Does she have a vagina? I will say yes. Are there sensors there? I will say yes," he said.

"Do I sleep with her? No."

Trung said he chose to make Aiko a female because he reasoned that a female android would be less threatening than a male android.

As for the questions about Aiko's anatomical details, Trung said he attempted to build an android that is as realistic as possible, plain and simple.

"For some reason, tabloids twisted the story around and there's nothing much you can do," Trung said.

But he admits there are some adult topics that Aiko is familiar with.

"If you talk dirty to her, she will talk dirty back," Trung said, admitting that an R-rated vocabulary was an unforeseen part of Aiko's development.

When he began building up Aiko's capabilities, Trung said he used a software program that scanned a series of random websites so she could download new words for her vocabulary.

But within a few short hours, the searching algorithm inadvertently brought her to some adult websites that allowed Aiko to pick up some "new words" that Trung had not intended for her to learn.

Now that's funny.

But I seen a news report on this last night and in regards to him sleeping with the thing, he showed that the andoid has been programmed to not allow anybody or anything touch her in certain areas.

He (or someone else) went to reach for her boob and she slapped away the hand and said something like "Don't touch my breast you pervert."

It was kinda funny.

Project Aiko's future

For now, Trung hopes to land a sponsor for Project Aiko, in order to continue his dream.

He has applied for funding from many sources, but he hopes to find some interest for his technology in Canada -- but he admits he hasn't had much luck.

"I tried to get funding from Canadian companies, even Canadian grants, but they just say: 'Sorry, we don't fund basement work.' So, that's what they say."

As for Aiko's own future, the sky is the limit, Trung said.

"There is always room for improvement," he said. "It's never-ending."

It is pretty interesting I must say..... a bit odd, but interesting.

 

[karrie]

Now that's funny.

But I seen a news report on this last night and in regards to him sleeping with the thing, he showed that the andoid has been programmed to not allow anybody or anything touch her in certain areas.

He (or someone else) went to reach for her boob and she slapped away the hand and said something like "Don't touch my breast you pervert."

It was kinda funny.

Yeah, but, she's also been programmed with facial recognition software, so, for all you know she just knows not to sleep with anyone but her owner. I'm suspect of anyone who would make something female looking to not only scrub his toilets, but clean his ears (wtf?), especially when he's been making her learn porn. lol.

 

[Praxius]

Yeah, but, she's also been programmed with facial recognition software, so, for all you know she just knows not to sleep with anyone but her owner. I'm suspect of anyone who would make something female looking to not only scrub his toilets, but clean his ears (wtf?), especially when he's been making her learn porn. lol.

Yeah he's probably one screwed up robo-perv, but until we actually know, (Or want to know) I'll give him the benifit of the doubt.

But then again in the report last night I saw, he claimed he never had a girlfriend and doesn't have the time for one...... sooooo...... assumptions abound.

But what he is designing is still pretty interesting for other aspects besides a mechanical semen dumpster.

Yeah I know.... I'm a charmer.

 

[lone wolf]

Dunno.... Waxy and cold might take some getting used to. A non-nagger? Thank-you very much. I just can't see Mister Happy staying very happy if'n he gets caught in a cogwheel....

 

[Praxius]

Dunno.... Waxy and cold might take some getting used to. A non-nagger? Thank-you very much. I just can't see Mister Happy staying very happy if'n he gets caught in a cogwheel....

Naw, Cogwheels were a thing of the older models..... now a days you gotta worry about hot CPU's and their large fans.

Now there's something to explain to the doctors in the emergency room.

Sure you could say it was a female robot, but to them, it'd just look like you opened up your computer tower and started poking around.

And if you got your scrotum snagged..... well, that's something for the fire department, and when they come around, everybody wants to know what's going on. It's usually either a cute cat in a tree, or a fire...... and before you know it..... they were all wrong, it's a live version of There's Something About Mary

 

[shadowshiv]

And so the age of the Stepford Wives begins...;-):lol:

In all seriousness, no matter what he does with the android, it took a lot of talent to create something like that. Sometimes it is the people who society deems to be "odd" that create the biggest wonders.

 

[Mongul]

Besides the fact that this may be the start of a beautiful Robo-humanoid love affair, this guys a genius. He build a working humanoid robot by himself? get this guy a job in the military designing friggin gundams and mechs

 

[shadowshiv]

Besides the fact that this may be the start of a beautiful Robo-humanoid love affair, this guys a genius. He build a working humanoid robot by himself? get this guy a job in the military designing friggin gundams and mechs

That'll probably be his next destination, whether he wants to go or not.

 

[Scott Free]

"But she cannot walk -- yet. Trung said he needs 14 motors worth $500 a piece to get Aiko walking, and until he gets a financial sponsor, that goal has to stay on hold."

I find that funny. He needs a sponsor to finish his sex toy.

 

[B00Mer]

First thing I thought of was Terminator....

Now some day in the future androids will be doing work for humans, or even building other androids...

 

[lone wolf]

How come a Star Trek episode comes to mind? "...I am 4U...."

 

[Mongul]

How come a Star Trek episode comes to mind? "...I am LaL...."

...

 

[Praxius]

How come a Star Trek episode comes to mind? "...I am 4U...."

Hey if Tasha Yar could get it on with Data in the first season and everybody was cool with it, then I don't see what's wrong with a guy doing the same thing with a female android.

But if he is truly working on trying to make an andoid that is supposed to be as human as possible, then logically and eventually he'd have to work on the other parts we all avoid mentioning.

Maybe while he was waiting for the money for the leg parts he killed some time working on her unproductive organs.

Frigged if I know, but whatever his intentions or desires for this andoid's final outcome, I say all the power to him, he's working on a very impressive invention. People do all kinds of wierd things for very wierd reasons..... but in the end they sometimes end up helping mankind.

 

[Mongul]

to be fair though, tasha was infected with a bacteria that made her very drunk and horny, so technically it wasn't consenual

 

[karrie]

But if he is truly working on trying to make an andoid that is supposed to be as human as possible, then logically and eventually he'd have to work on the other parts we all avoid mentioning.

really? Why is a functional, feeling vagina a logical part? Think about a baby developing, they learn the feel of their ears, their nose, their toes, their belly button, etc. If you want to be logical about it, start with those things. Does she have a realistic and sensored anus? You know, for perfection's sake, if you want to make her realistically human that's just as big a part of it as a vagina.

 

[Praxius]

to be fair though, tasha was infected with a bacteria that made her very drunk and horny, so technically it wasn't consenual

Yeah well apparently Data got infected too, so either way, they both had a good time.

Maybe she just wanted an excuse to get a man-look-a-like with all working parts to keep her up all night, unlike the rest of those lazy sensitive men from the future

"Ok... that's great.... not put vibrate on high..... OOOOOoooooooo Yeaah..... !!!!!"

 

[Praxius]

really? Why is a functional, feeling vagina a logical part? Think about a baby developing, they learn the feel of their ears, their nose, their toes, their belly button, etc. If you want to be logical about it, start with those things. Does she have a realistic and sensored anus? You know, for perfection's sake, if you want to make her realistically human that's just as big a part of it as a vagina.

Now why are we trying to pick and choose what parts are more important? He's the wiz who's got the thing up and running, so he seems to have a system at play.

And besides..... he's a guy.... it's not all that suprising he'd have some interest in that area of development.

But then again, from what I heard in the other report, he never had a girlfriend and won't ever have time for one...... so how would he really know if it's fully functioning? :-?

 

[karrie]

Yeah well apparently Data got infected too, so either way, they both had a good time.

Maybe she just wanted an excuse to get a man-look-a-like with all working parts to keep her up all night, unlike the rest of those lazy sensitive men from the future

"Ok... that's great.... not put vibrate on high..... OOOOOoooooooo Yeaah..... !!!!!"

Psh.. like she'd have needed an adroid for that. Keep in mind they had holodecks on that ship.

 

[karrie]

Now why are we trying to pick and choose what parts are more important? He's the wiz who's got the thing up and running, so he seems to have a system at play.

I'm not picking what's important. I'm telling you that your attempt to rationalize away why he gave her a vagina is bunk. lol. He gave her a vagina because he's having sex, or intends to have sex, with her. No benefit of the doubt here. He built himself a slavebot. Plain and simple. Sure... he'll make money too, and he's brilliant and what he did isn't 'bad'... but he built a slavebot nonetheless.

 

[Praxius]

Psh.. like she'd have needed an adroid for that. Keep in mind they had holodecks on that ship.

True, but as we should all know from Lt. Barkley's experiences, people tend to suddenly show up on those holodecks unannounced

That and maybe she had a thing for Data and wanted to jump his hydraulics. I've know a lot of ladies who like to use alcohol as an excuse to act all Slooty.

But hey, I can act slooty too..... but I don't use alcohol as an excuse to do so :twisted: