"There have been programs that have been around for decades that will get a computer to generate new material that crosses that line into the significant new, " such as a drawing program created by artist Harold Cohen.

CNN: Roboticist sees improvisation through machine's eyes

It's a material that offers so much promise, but has yet to fully leap from the drawing board out into our everyday reality.

ENGADGET: Alt-week 8.18.12: Graphene sponges, zero-g athletics and tweets in space