Pentagon demonstrates humanoid robot

Moving its hands as if it were dealing cards and walking with a bit of a swagger, a Pentagon-financed humanoid robot named Atlas made its first public appearance last week.

C3PO it's not. But its creators have high hopes for the hydraulically powered machine. The robot - which is equipped with both laser and stereo vision systems, as well as dexterous hands - is seen as a new tool that can come to the aid of humanity in natural and man-made disasters.

Atlas is being designed to perform rescue functions in situations where humans cannot survive. The Pentagon has devised a challenge in which competing teams of technologists program it to do things like shut off valves or throw switches, open doors, operate power equipment and travel over rocky ground. The challenge comes with a US$2 million prize.

Some see Atlas' unveiling as a giant - though shaky - step towards the long-anticipated age of humanoid robots.

"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, a company that's building a robot able to load and unload trucks.

"A new species, Robo sapiens, are emerging," he said.