Modest Debut of Atlas May Foreshadow Age of 'Robo Sapiens'

"People love the wizards in Harry Potter or'Lord of the Rings,' but this is real," said Gary Bradski, a Silicon Valley artificial intelligence specialist and a co-founder of Industrial Perception Inc., a company that is building a robot able to load and unload trucks. "A new species, Robo sapiens, are emerging," he said. The debut of Atlas on Thursday was a striking example of how computers are beginning to grow legs and move around in the physical world. Although robotic planes already fill the air and self-driving cars are being tested on public roads, many specialists in robotics believe that the learning curve toward useful humanoid robots will be steep. Still, many see them fulfilling the needs of humans -- and the dreams of science fiction lovers -- sooner rather than later.