Extempo Systems, Inc., was founded in 1995 to commercialize intelligent characters. Our team built innovative software and novel applications for several markets. We had some early-adopting customers during the Internet boom, but the company could not survive the significant downturn in corporate IT spending when the bubble burst. In 2004, Extempo ceased operations and was formally liquidated. Although our commercial venture failed, we advanced the technology for intelligent characters and learned a lot about how (not) to take them to market.

Red Dead Redemption 2 may have been delayed until spring 2018, but we're not prepared to give up thinking about horse adventures just yet. Sure, the new screenshots that Rockstar Games released were a consolation, but they were also severely lacking in one of the best parts of the game: the horses. Video game horses have galloped through our imaginations for endless hours. We've enjoyed unique, bizarre, unexpected horses -- horses that would never make it to the cover of the Horse & Rider magazine. These horses deserve a moment in the spotlight. When the zombie apocalypse comes a-knocking in Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare DLC, mankind's favorite rideable animal turns horribly hellish.

Just a few days before Christmas 2015, I found myself staring down the silicone mouth hole of the "world's first blowjob robot." I'd set out to find the future of sex but quickly realized that: 1) The Autoblow 2 wasn't a robot at all, and 2) I'd be better off sticking to a grapefruit for simulated fellatio. My encounter with the Autoblow 2 was both disturbing and fascinating and sparked a 15-month exploration of male sex toys that came to a head in a small sex-robotics R&D lab in Southern California. NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts. The lab is staffed by a small group of artists who meticulously craft individual body parts en masse. There's a man painting erect penises, another carving the contours of a cheekbone, and in the far right corner sits an empty workstation for the lab's dedicated eye technician.

Harmony is a new type of sex doll - one that can move and talk. Her head, eyelids and lip movements are fairly crude and her conversation is even more limited. But she is part of a new robotics revolution that is seeing artificial intelligence incorporated into an extremely human-like body. Some think that it will revolutionise the way humans interact with robots while others believe that it represents the very worst in robotic advancement. The uncanny valley - the idea that the closer we get to replicating the human form, the more scared we become of our creations - seems to have come to life in this unassuming factory on the outskirts of San Marcos, California.

The'sex tech' market is worth an estimated $30.6bn - and across the globe, firms are racing to create a radical new type of robot they say could change sex forever. From AI personalities capable of holding a conversation to models with a functioning G-spot, firms are hoping consumers will pay up to $15,000 for a sex doll that never says no. Among the most impressive is RealDoll's Harmony - an artificial intelligence based sex bot that can hold conversations, remember what she's told and even has a customizable personality. The doll's AI can learn about its user to'create an engaging simulation of a relationship,' according to the company behind the life-like bot. The sex doll's AI will then continue to learn about its user to'create an engaging simulation of a relationship,' according to the company behind the life-like bot.

Harmony is a prototype, a robotic version of the company's hyper-realistic silicone sex toy, the RealDoll,

In the brightly lit robotics workshop at Abyss Creations' factory in San Marcos, California, a life-size humanoid was dangling from a stand, hooked between her shoulder blades. She wore a white leotard, her chest was thrust forward and her French-manicured fingers were splayed across the tops of her slim thighs. Harmony is a prototype, a robotic version of the company's hyper-realistic silicone sex toy, the RealDoll. The Realbotix room where she was assembled was lined with varnished pine surfaces covered with wires and circuit boards, and a 3D printer whirred in the corner, spitting out tiny, intricate parts that will be inserted beneath her PVC skull. Her hazel eyes darted between me and her creator, Matt McMullen, as he described her accomplishments. Harmony smiles, blinks and frowns. She can hold a conversation, tell jokes and quote Shakespeare. She'll remember your birthday, McMullen told me, what you like to eat, and the names of your brothers and sisters. She can hold a conversation about music, movies and books. And of course, Harmony will have sex with you whenever you want. Harmony is the culmination of 20 years' work making sex dolls, and five years of robot research and development. After his team had made their silicone and steel dolls as "human" as they could, the way ahead began to feel inevitable, irresistible: they would animate them, giving them personality and bringing them to life. McMullen had toyed with animatronics for years.

Men will be able to embark on a passionate love affair with their kinky cyborgs from the date of release. Once users have set up an account they will be able to access the app on their smartphone, iPad, tablet or computer. And when the fellas are stunned with the racy developments of the robot in the next six to nine months, the app will then sync with the fully functioning sex robots with a "PULSE" to give blokes the out-of-this-world sexual experience.

Automated health behavior coaches (HBCs) potentially can provide a widely accessible, cost-effective means of promoting health behavior. Coaches are intelligent agents that “converse” with users, offering tailored feedback, advice, and empathy. Research subjects like coaches and comply with target behaviors, but interest and adherence wane over time. More research is needed on next-generation HBCs to improve coaching techniques, enhance user engagement, and extend adherence. However, the necessary technical tools and expertise reside in only a few research labs. In an effort to expand and accelerate research, we are developing an HBC Kit that will extend and specialize our more general Imp™ Kit. We propose 7 innovations for next-generation HBCs, demonstrate them in a lifestyle coach, and characterize authoring with the Imp Kit. We discuss planned extensions for the HBC Kit to enable a larger and more diverse community to create and evaluate a broader range of coaches.

Extempo Systems, Inc. was founded in 1995 to commercialize intelligent characters. Our team built innovative software and novel applications for several markets. We had some early-adopting customers during the Internet boom, but the company was not quite able to survive the significant downturn in corporate IT spending when the bubble burst. In 2004, Extempo ceased operations and was formally liquidated. Although our commercial venture failed, we learned a lot, had fun, and are trying again with a new company. To others who aspire to commercialize their AI technology, I say: ";;Take a chance!";;