The Arrival of Robot Bouncers in Strip Clubs is Met with Approval

When CES, the self-described "most influential tech event in the world," is coming to town with an estimated 100,000 nerds, geeks, and tech obsessives, and Sapphire Las Vegas Gentleman's Club, which bills itself as the biggest strip club in the world, your primary strategic goal is to find the intersection of these two events in order to attract as many of said attendees of the consumer electronics trade show. Sapphire came up with a creative plan for this year's event, hiring "the world's largest security guard" to serve as the "world's largest club bouncer."

The world's largest four-legged exoskeleton, Prosthesis, was created by Vancouver, Canada-based engineer, entrepreneur, inventor, and artist Jonathan Tippett. It was discovered by Sapphire Managing Partner Peter Feinstein while he was attending Big Boys, Big Toys at the Las Vegas Conference Center last fall. Feinstein spoke with Tippett after spotting an opening. A marketing concept was developed in a subsequent Sapphire marketing gathering. Why not use the large device to provide club security at CES in Vegas?

Sapphire has already experimented with gentleman's club robotics. Feinstein recalls, "About five years ago, we had a stripper robot that generated a lot of headlines. The 9,000-pound, 13-foot-tall, 18-foot-wide human-driven machine would handle the job instead of attempting to entice CES goers to the club with alluring pictures of scantily clad dancers, moonlighting for the evening as Mech "The Bot" Johnson, the club's security force. Regarding its continued employment as the club's bouncer after its one-night CES stint, Feinstein's two decades or so of leadership at Sapphire have taught him that the position of gentleman's club security guard requires "more of a hands-on approach than a robot, and it may not be able to react to all the situations we encounter." With all the security challenges of managing in the neighborhood of 400,000 customers moving through the club's over 70,000 square foot space annually.

As technology advances, it's not surprising to see it being implemented in various industries. One such industry is strip clubs, where robot bouncers are becoming a new addition. These robots are designed to ensure safety and security within the club, and can be programmed to detect and respond to potential threats. They can also assist in monitoring and enforcing club policies. Some people are welcoming this new technology, as it can provide an added layer of protection for both patrons and employees. However, some are concerned about the implications of robots replacing human jobs. Regardless, it's clear that strip club bouncer robots are becoming a reality, and it will be interesting to see how they are further integrated in the industry.

Tippett tells me when we meet as he enters Sapphire to set up for the event that night, "It's the bouncer, so it needs to do its job, basically by appearing dangerous." He has no qualms about entering a strip club wearing his mech suit because "all sorts of people make a living in all sorts of various ways," he says. In addition, rather than completely replacing humans, this exoskeleton improves their capabilities. He doesn't seem very excited when I ask if he envisions a time when a strip club may be entirely automated. He ponders that "I feel like an automated strip club would do a disservice to all the amazing art and skill that's connected with that entertainment." What about a stripper exoskeleton, though? His brain starts to swirl and whirl. "A machine that made [the dancers] gigantic yet didn't hide them," he could picture.

Feinstein is even less optimistic about the possibility of a completely automated strip club. "I usually remark that mankind live in hope. They don't appear to be looking to hook up with a mechanical performer. They appear to be seeking the genuine article. Attendees at CES will undoubtedly concur.