Robotics

Robots are often thought of as a technology of the future, but they're already here by the millions in the workplace, our homes, and pretty soon on the roads. We'll discuss the origins of robotics to its proliferation, and even look at some common control designs that were implemented to make them more useful in the workplace.

Cynthia Breazeal, a ground-breaking robot designer, was inspired by the movie Star Wars. She build Kismet, her first sociable robot, at MIT, where she's now a professor. Cynthia remembers that Kismet had a really expressive face. She's now working on Leonardo who's all about character and personality. While Cynthia's work is with robots, her goals are much larger, "Technology is something you create to improve the human condition, to contribute to a better quality of life for everyone."

According to some scientists, robots are defined as machines that can interact with their environment and have some abilities to make decisions on their own. In this segment adapted from Curious, robots are also viewed as machines that perform tasks that humans can't (or won't) undertake. One example of a robot is the Mars Rover, an autonomous robot (one that can make some of its own decisions) that was designed to study the past history of water on the ground surface of the planet Mars. LAGR stands for Learning Applied to Ground Robotics, a program that is designed to teach robots how to learn, starting with the human senses.

You can build your own robot thanks to LEGO. In this video, Chris Brozo will show you how to put your new kit together.

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