"It's really a labor of love"

Hines combined his background with the expertise of 18 artists and engineers from three countries to create a robot designed to “deliver the best in robot sex.”

The project cost between $500,000 and $1 million and took about 2½ years to create, Hines said.

“It’s really a labor of love,” said Hines. He declined to release the robot’s retail price until Saturday, which is the day Roxxxy officially goes on sale.

Customers interested in a Roxxxy companion can ask the company to customize the robot for their personal preferences. To create a robot that looks and acts like an ideal mate, customers fill out a questionnaire to give engineers clues about the robot’s personality.