Step aside, R2D2.  Here comes EMA, and she's got something you don't. Sex appeal.

Sega moves into the adult market this September with a robotic girlfriend to be marketed to lonely Japanese men. Her name is EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization. EMA's 15-inch frame comes with upper torso molding that might make make a Barbie jealous, and she will sing, hand out business cards, and shake her rock-hard booty.

The robots are geared for the over-20 market, according to the manufacturer, and come with a "love mode,"  in which internal sensors can sense the proximity of a human head. EMA will then give kisses, demonstrating the  "sweet and interactive" nature the company intended.

Japan has long been a pioneer in robotic development. Nearly one-half of the world's 800,000 industrial robots currently work in Japan, but Japanese researchers continue to develop new projects, such as ASIMO, the little astronaut-resembling robot that recently conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Indeed, some researchers are predicting that robot love will expand in the years to come, though no one expects them to operate--or look like-- a Six just yet. David Levy, author of the book Love and Sex with Robots, said in an interview this week that he envisions within 40 years that robots would exist that could be not just sex toys, but conversational partners.

There are many hurdles to overcome before development reaches that point, he said, including development of the conversation interface that would really stimulate the human side of the conversation.  Current AI development has created a robotic brain that can function independently, but only on the level of an infant, experts say.

In the meantime, there's EMA.  With a price tag of $175, they're cheaper than a night on the town. And fortunately, although Sega says the robot is "very lovable and...can act like a real girlfriend,” there's no electric shock device built in for when her partner forgets all those important things, like anniversaries.