So the argument in this threadbare article is that, for a given very SPECIFIC problem, there is a more parsimonious mechanical solution? The global reaction to these machines is because they are a necessary sequential step towards the kinds of general purpose intelligence (and corresponding locomotion) that we possess. It's not just anthropomorphism, it's the kinds of evolutionary possibility space that were carved out by nature because they were adaptive in many different scenarios, unlike something mounted on rails or treads.