Pinocchio's New AI Friend

Good old wooden boy Pinocchio has competition in Zeno, the robotic creation of David Hansen. With a face fashioned from skinlike "frubber," these little guys stand about 17 inches tall and should be available for consumers in a couple of years.

"It's a representation of robotics as a character animation medium, one that is intelligent," Hanson beams. "It sees you and recognizes your face. It learns your name and can build a relationship with you."

It's no coincidence if the whole concept sounds like a science-fiction movie.

Hanson said he was inspired by, and is aiming for, the same sort of realism found in the book "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," by Brian Aldiss. Aldiss' story of troubled robot boy David and his quest for the love of his flesh-and-blood parents was the source material for Steven Spielberg's film "Artificial Intelligence: AI."

So, in a couple of years, you too can have your own "real" boy. For about $300.