The image is one of a series about the life of a personal robot. The time is the near future where personal robots are sold to do erveryday business or switch into a romantic mode to entertain women. Credit: Franz Steiner

A world of lonely singles finding comfort in the arms of a robot lover may be closer than expected in human hearts and minds. Only a few people have vowed romantic love for a life-size “RealDoll” sex doll or the virtual schoolgirls of the Japanese dating simulation game “Love Plus,” but scientists say that even the simplest toy robots or video games have shown how machines can manipulate human emotions. READ MORE HERE