Robotics

KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia | Fast Forward

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Fast Forward travels to the West side of the state to clear up some misconceptions about modern factories. We visit KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point. This state of the art facility rolls out 1 new car every minute, and we show the process—going from steel coils all the way to their test track. And while we’re here, we learn who really runs the world (hint: it’s not the “cool kids”).

Monkey Babysitter

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Learn about how young Indian Langur Monkeys practice for motherhood in this video from the NATURE mini-series Spy in the Wild. Part of the episode “Love,” this video shows how challenging monkey babysitting can be. Support materials ask students to think about the importance of practice in order to build skills. Students are also encouraged to think about the needs of baby animals and the challenges of caring for young.

Zach's Mosquitobot Army | Wild Kratts

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Learn about the creature powers of mosquitoes with the Wild Kratts. Zach gets his Mosquitobot Army ready to track down the Tortuga HQ so that they can suck out all of the Tortuga's inventions!

Wild-Inspired Robotic Arms

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Learn how one company took inspiration from nature to reinvent the robotic arm in this video excerpted from NOVA: “Making Stuff Wilder.” Host and technology columnist David Pogue meets with engineer Heinrich Frontzek to find out about the Bionic Handling Assistant—a machine modeled after an elephant's trunk. A traditional robotic arm is rigid and unable to work closely with humans, but this new design is more flexible and less dangerous. The company has also developed a new kind of adaptive gripper, inspired by fish fins, that is flexible and able to securely grasp even fragile objects, like eggs.

This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.

A History of Robots | The Good Stuff

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Hosts Craig and Matt look at the surprisingly long history of robots, from ancient times to the renaissance and the industrial revolution. We contemplate what it means to be a machine. Is the universe a machine? Are we machines?

Robotics Engineering

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Erik is a robotics engineer who works with mechanical, electrical and computer engineers to build robots. Students will learn how robotics engineering requires constant experimenting before things work out just right.

Unlikely Partners: Warthog and Mongoose

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Learn about the unusual animal partnership between warthogs and mongooses in this video from the NATURE mini-series Spy in the Wild. Part of the episode “Friendship,” this video shows how two very different animals help one another in the African savannah. Support materials ask students to recognize the benefits of animal partnerships in the wild. Students are also encouraged to think about the friendships in their own lives and how they are similar or different from animal relationships.

Scientist Profile: Ocean Engineer

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This DragonflyTV segment introduces engineer Dick Yue, who studies how fish swim through water in order to make boats, ships, and submarines more efficient; he even built a robot fish to assist him in his studies. Also available in Spanish.

NOVA | Swarming Drones

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Roboticist Vijay Kumar explains the sensing systems in his drones in this video from NOVA. He is funded by the military to develop drones that can work autonomously. Currently, the drones he has developed can fly in formation only through communication with a computer, which tells them where they are in space relative to other drones. The goal is to enable the drones to do that automatically, so that they can maneuver anywhere without intervention.

The New Rules of Robot/Human Society | Off Book

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As technology speeds forward, humans are beginning to imagine robots filling the roles promised to us in science fiction. But what should we be considering today as robots like military and delivery drones become a real part of our society? How should robots be programmed to interact with us? How should we treat robots? Who is responsible for a robot's actions? As we look at the unexpected impact of new technologies, we are obligated as a society to consider the moral and ethical implications of robotics.

Robotics

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