As a card-carrying technology fan, I am duty-bound to be fascinated by robots. However, I do find myself getting a little jaded by the frenetic pace of robotic invention. In the last year alone, I’ve seen robots walk, jog, fly, roll, even perform as teachers and fashion models. Hell, they just had a Heineken Bot serving beer at a recent fair in London. But even in this state of C3POverload, I had to raise an eyebrow last week.

In two separate leaps, our robot friends became both scarier and sluttier. This probably brings us that much closer to the first Cylon uprising, but I see no reason to dwell on the negative. In fact, while we still have our freedom, there’s much to admire.

BigDog: just don't let him sleep on your bed

Starting with the creepy, there is BigDog. This is a four-legged robot developed for the military by Boston Dynamic. BigDog can travel over any surface, even jump like a horse (should work well in military parades). In principle, however, BigDog is really just Mule 2.0. Its mission is to carry 400 pounds of gear for our troops. As a pleasant side-effect, it will also scare the living daylights out of any enemy who might be watching. Think mutant horse buzzing like a giant mosquito. If you can deal with the bad dreams, don’t miss BigDog’s video. (Friendly tip: wash it down immediately with the BigDog parody.)

Roxxxy: in certain ways, creepier than BigDo

The other breakthrough was unveiled at that hotbed of scientific invention, Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. This robot’s name is Roxxxy, and she’s designed to… well, let’s just say she’s an easy conquest. Billed as the world’s most sophisticated talking sex robot, Roxxxy is 5’7″, 120 pounds, equipped with voice recognition, conversational ability and five different personalities (just like many of our real-life mates). A male version, Rocky, is in the works.

At $7,000, Roxxxy is far more affordable than BigDog, but you really shouldn’t make this decision based on money. I get the feeling that in the end, Roxxxy is the kind who might just break your heart.