One major new invention in China could revolutionize how pregnancy works in the near future, as a scientist has claimed to have made a humanoid robot that is capable of carrying out a human pregnancy from start to finish.
We are already seeing a dramatic rise in the aptitude of robots, as a number of factories have started to implement humanoids into the workplace alongside robot butlers for the ultra rich.
Some companies have even taken to showing off their robotic outputs in sporting competitions, and underground fight clubs featuring VR headsets have also emerged as a potentially significant development in the world of combat sports.
One unexpected realm where few might have seen interest though is pregnancy, as that remains a process contained within mammals that would seemingly be impossible for robots to perform, yet thanks to one new invention we could soon see the birth of a baby making machine.
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Is there a robot that can give birth to humans?
As reported by the Telegraph, Chinese scientist Dr Zhang Qifeng, founder of Guanzhou robotics company Kaiwa Technology, claims that he has developed the means to carry out a pregnancy entirely within the 'body' of a humanoid robot.
Dr Zhang has revealed that the technology that would allow this medical marvel is already in the 'mature stages', adding that "it needs to be implemented in the robot's abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow inside."
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The robot itself has been specifically designed to mimic the conditions and process of a human pregnancy from start to finish, although it remains unclear quite how the egg and sperm are fertilized.
This isn't the first time that the pregnancy process has been adapted from it's natural state, as in vitro fertilization (IVF) allows doctors to fertilize an egg with sperm outside of the human body, and then insert an embryo into the uterus.
Dr Zhang has also compared the process to existing procedures where scientists keep premature lambs alive in 'biobags' for weeks, and it has been designed in part to tackle rising infertility numbers in China.
Understandably it is considered an incredibly controversial measure that many aren't convinced by from both an ethical and practical standpoint, and taking part in the prototype stage will set you back at least $14,000 (100,000 yuan) to pick up next year.
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From a scientific perspective, experts have remained sceptical regarding the ability for a robot to reproduce human gestation, and are unconvinced that it's possible to duplicate biological processes like maternal hormone secretion.
Additionally, feminists have expressed their concerns regarding the ethical dubiousness of this process which would effectively remove women from pregnancy, although it would also give those with infertility issues another option and completely remove the health risks that come with pregnancy.