What is in the pipeline? Humanoid robots that can obey commands, make decisions, and deftly perform manual tasks have long been a sci-fi fantasy. Now they are becoming reality. Artificial intelligence ...

Most robot headlines follow a familiar script: a machine masters one narrow trick in a controlled lab, then comes the bold promise that everything is about to change. I usually tune those stories out.

For decades, humanoid robots have lived behind safety cages in factories or deep inside research labs. Fauna Robotics, a New York-based robotics startup, says that era is ending. The company has ...