Cyber Geppetto

David Hanson is the proud parent of one boy and one robot.

There's his 18-month-old son Zeno, and then there's the robotic Zeno. At 17 inches tall and 6 pounds, the artificial Zeno is the culmination of five years of work by Hanson and a small group of engineers, designers and programmers at his company, Hanson Robotics. They are focused on the design and sale of lifelike robotic companions, or social robots. That's the business of creating artificial beings for people who have zero ability to interact with real humans for social contact or occasions.

Hanson says he envisions Zeno as an interactive learning companion, a synthetic pal who can engage in conversation and convey human emotion. I call it creepy.

Inspired by the same story that led to the movie Artificial Intelligence: AI, Hanson wants to make his little Zenos available to consumers within the next three years for $200 to $300, although he concedes it's going to be at least 15 years before robot builders can approach anything like what was in the film. With limitless sculpting ability, the little robot can be make to look like anything or anyone. Robotics, Hanson believes, should be about artistic expression, but convincing people that robots should look like people remains a challenge that experts call the "uncanny valley" theory. It says that humans have a positive psychological reaction to robots that look somewhat like humans, but that robots made to look very realistic end up seeming grotesque instead of comforting.

The robot syncs up to a computer running Massive Software — the same program that enabled the battles among humans, orcs and elves in the Lord Of The Rings movies, so when it links up to Skynet to overthrow mankind, just know it knows how to fight already. Of course it will be extra embarrassing to be enslaved by something the size of a Cabbage Patch Kid.