Research interests
Sexuality | Erobotics | Space sexology | Sextech | Psychophysiology
Public scholar and PhD candidate in Psychology, my biopsychosocial research investigates human sexuality, sextech, and Erobotics – the study of human-machine erotic interaction and co-evolution. My doctoral thesis examines people’s motivations to engage erotically with artificial erotic agent – or erobots – such as virtual partners and sex robots, along with the social, personality, and state factors that may influence their willingness to have sex and fall in love with machines, using self-report measures, eye-tracking, and genital thermography. My work also explores Space Sexology – the comprehensive study of extraterrestrial intimacy and sexuality – and how we can integrate sex research into space programs and exploration.
I am also a student representative of the International Academy of Sex Research (IASR) and a co-chair of the International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots. My doctoral research is funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec Santé (FRQS). My postdoctoral research at the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University (Bloomington), will be funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
https://www.concordia.ca/sgs/public-scholars/alumni/2021/simon-dube.html
Featured in Rudolph and Werner Herzog’s Discovery+, Last Exit: Space.
Featured in 9 episodes of the first season of the French documentary series, Sexe+Techno: https://www.tv5unis.ca/sexe-techno/saisons/1
Awards & distinctions (selection)
2022-2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
2022-2024 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé
2021-2022 Graduate Scholarship in Psychology, Concordia University
2018-2022 Doctoral Scholarship, Fonds de Recherche du Québéc – Santé
2021-2022 Public Scholar Program Award, Concordia University
2019-2020 President’s Media Outreach Award: Graduate Research Communicator of the Year, Concordia University
2017-2018 Master’s Scholarship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
2017- 2019 Master’s Scholarship, Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé
Teaching assistantships
2017-2021 Specialisation project (PSYC-485; 4 years), Department of Psychology, Concordia University
2017 Statistical analysis II (PSYC-316), Department of Psychology, Concordia University
Statistical analysis I (PSYC-315), Department of Psychology, Concordia University
2016-2017 Research Methods and Designs I (PSYC-310), Department of Psychology, Concordia University
Thesis & student supervision
- Madison Williams (undergraduate – Concordia University)
- Lisa Thomasse (undergraduate – Concordia University)
- Alexandra Connor (undergraduate – Concordia University)
- Jessica Salvemini (undergraduate – Concordia University)
Publications (selection)
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Zhu, C. Y., Di Tommaso, S., Hu, R., Cormier, G., Johnson, A., & Vachon, D. (2022, In press). Sex robots and personality: It is more about sex than robots. Computers in Human Behavior.
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Anctil, D., Zhu, C. Y., Thomasse, L., Giaccari, L., Oassey, R., Vachon, D., & Johnson, A. (2022). Perceived stigma and erotic technology: From sex toys to erobots. Psychology & Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2022.2067783
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Anctil, A., Giaccari, L., & Lapierre, J. (2021). The case for space sexology. The Journal of Sex Research, 1-12. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.2012639
Dubé, S., & Anctil, D. (2020). Foundations of Erobotics. International Journal of Social Robotics, 13(5), 1205-1233, Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00706-0
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., & Anctil, A (2022). Erobots as research tools: Overcoming the ethical and methodological challenges of sexology. Journal of Future Robot Life, 1-15. Doi: 10.3233/FRL-210017
Dubé, S.*, Santaguida, M.*, Anctil, D., Connor, L., Vachon, D., & Johnson, A. (2021). Technology-based sexualities. In A. D. Lykins (ed). Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender. Springer, Cham. 1-12. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_70-1
Dubé, S., & Anctil, D. (2021). Erobots and Erobotics. In A. D. Lykins (ed). Encyclopedia of Sexuality and Gender. Springer, Cham. 1-5. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_100-1
Presentations (selection)
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Zhu, C.Y., Hu, R., Tommaso, S., Cormier, G., Gadoury, T., Yim, B., Vachon, D., & Johnson, A. (2022). Sex robots & personality: It’s more about sex than robots. Poster presentation, International Academy of Sex Research, July, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Anctil, D., Giaccari, L, & Lapierre, J. (2021). The case for space sexology. Oral presentation, Mars Society Convention, October 2021, virtual.
Dubé, S. (2021, Keynote). Erobotics: Or the study (and future) of human-machine erotic interaction. Oral presentation, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Sexuality Pre-conference, February 2021, virtual.
Dubé, S. (2021). Space Sexology: Or the importance of sexuality & intimate relationships beyond Earth. Invited Oral presentation, Humanity in Space, January 2021. Rocket Women, virtual
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Zhu, C.Y., Thomasse, L., Giaccari, L., Oassey, R., Vachon, D., & Johnson, A., (2020). Stigma in the age of Erobotics. Invited Oral presentation, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality meeting, November 2020, New Orleans, Louisiana, United-States of America, virtual.
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., Anctil, D., Zhu, C.Y., Thomasse, L., Giaccari, L, Oassey, R., Vachon, D., & Johnson, A. (2021). From sex toys to erobots: The differential relation between stigma and the willingness to engage with erotic technologies across women and men. Poster presentation, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality meeting, November 2021, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dubé, S., Santaguida, M., & Anctil, D. (2021). Erobots as research tools: Overcoming challenges in human sex research. Oral presentation, International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots, August 2021, Montreal, virtual.
Media
Op-eds
Sex in space: Could technology meet astronauts’ intimate needs? https://theconversation.com/sex-in-space-could-technology-meet-astronauts-intimate-needs-131630
Love and rockets: We need to figure out how to have sex in space for human survival and well-being. https://theconversation.com/love-and-rockets-we-need-to-figure-out-how-to-have-sex-in-space-for-human-survival-and-well-being-167515
Sextech & erobotics: The future of sex research. https://www.tickle.life/blog/sextech-erobotics-the-future-of-sex-research/
Cybersex, erotic tech and virtual intimacy are on the rise during COVID-19. https://theconversation.com/cybersex-erotic-tech-and-virtual-intimacy-are-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-141769
Beyond sex robots: Erobotics explores erotic human-machine interactions. https://theconversation.com/beyond-sex-robots-erobotics-explores-erotic-human-machine-interactions-118555
Blogs
How to move new (scientific) ideas forward: A recipe from 21st century sexology. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2022/03/09/how-to-move-new-scientific-ideas-forward.html
Sex robots: They’re about more than sex, and about more than robots. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2022/01/28/sex-robots-are-about-more-than-sex-and-about-more-than-robots.html
Let’s talk about sex research(ers). https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/09/02/lets-talk-about-sex-research-ers-.html
The elephant in the room of academia: The salaries of graduate student-researchers. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/07/29/the-elephant-in-the-room-of-academia-the-salaries-of-graduate-student-researchers.html
5 things I’ve learned studying sex robots and space masturbation. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/05/20/5-things-ive-learned-studying-sex-robots-and-space-masturbation.html
Interviews
MIC: Inside the push to study sex in space
UK Today News: NASA admits it may be time to study sex in space ahead of Mars missions
Abstract: The Future of Science. Episode 76 – Space Sexology ft. Simon Dubé
Article in UK Metro: Sustainable sex toys get your ecoconscious lover for Valentine’s Day
Sex in space and sex with robots. Interview. Sex & Psychology Podcast.
Sex in space: Hygiene, harassment and why Canada could lead the way in outer space sexology. Interview. Sextechguide. https://sextechguide.com/featured/sex-in-space-hygiene-harassment-canada-could-lead-space-sexology/
Humans will one day have sex in space: Montreal researcher Interview. The Canadian Press (CTV News). https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/humans-will-one-day-have-sex-in-space-montreal-researcher-1.5718060
Un jour, des humains feront l’amour dans l’espace. Interview. La Presse
Space sex: the trouble with joining the 62-mile-high club. Interview. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/the-future/space-sex/
Sexe dans l’espace. Pénélope. Interview. Radio-Canada. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/6896/penelope
Anctil & Dubé : “On constate un changement rapide des attitudes et croyances concernant les robots sexuels.” Interview. Philosophie Magazine.
Sex robots get more intimate with humans, thanks to AI. NewsyTV.
Sex robots in 5 years will be affordable, transhuman and feel better. Interview. Futureofsex.net.
Love and sex with robots. Podcast. Future Intelligence, PassWord.
Practice makes perfect: Sex robot will make humans ‘better lovers’ by letting us ‘explore our wildest fantasies’, expert claims. Interview. The Sun (UK).
Simon Dubé sur l’Érobotique et la sexualité dans l’espace. Interview. Éthique en Pandémie.
Simon Dubé – Sex in Space. Interview. Space Out!
Ein Roboter als Gespielin. Sonntagszeitung.
De multiples avenues pour les robots sexuels. Interview. La Presse Canadienne.
Technology gives rise to ‘digisexuality,’ an alternative to human partners. Interview. The Canadian Press.
Researcher uses erobots to compare our sexual responses toward human and artificial beings. Interview. STEM Sight. Concordia University News.
Humans, sex and robots: integrating technology into our sexuality. Interview. The Concordian.
L’Érobotique, la science qui s’intéresse à la relation entre l’être humain et les robots. Interview. Moteur de recherche. Radio-Canada.
La fin du sexe? Interview. LaPresse.
Pas le remplaçant d’un partenaire. Interview. Journal de Montréal.
Une entreprise québécoise offre des poupées sexuelles en location. Interview. HuffingtonPost.
Amour, sexe et robots. Interview. L’Obs.
Erobotics and Sex with Simon Dubé. Interview. BrainBuzz Podcast.
Les robots sexuels, une bonne chose ou non, un expert se prononce. Interview. Marceau le soir. RadioX98.1.
Le sexe avec un robot est-il acceptable? Interview. Le Journal de Montréal.
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