IF THE CANON of science-fiction cinema is in broad settlement on one factor, it’s {that a} robotic is meant to seem like a human being. It isn’t solely casting administrators and special-effects technicians who’re on board: engineers may see the attraction. Pras Velagapudi, the chief expertise officer at Agility Robotics, a agency based mostly in Oregon, says that the human type has “assured versatility” as a result of it may be tailored for a variety of functions. Small marvel. In spite of everything, robots need to navigate an atmosphere that has been formed by people to go well with their wants.