Robotics

What is a robot?

A robot is a machine — especially one programmable by a computer — capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically (Robot - Wikipedia).

Where did the word "robot" come from?

The word robot was first coined (this means the word was invented) in 1920 by the Czech author Karel Čapek. It means "forced labour" or "slave" So, it's quite a new word compared to most of the English language.

The robots from the TV show Humans show a great example of a possible future where we could have our own robots working as forced labour.

Note: the above video shows a clip from the trailer only. The show is not appropriate for aged 13 and under.

Are robots better than humans?

There are many advantages to using robots. They can often work 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) without needing time off sick etc. and they don't even need to be paid! Some are able to pick up heavy equipment as you will see in the video here.

Did you notice some humans too? There were some human workers checking the quality of a car part.

Some other skilled workers were monitoring the robots. These workers would need to be trained. They will also earn money than an unskilled factory worker.

Robots can be used in dangerous situations such as bomb disposal. For example, here is Mars Rover helping us to find life on Mars.

Sensors

Robots often need to know about their environment. They have sensors which let them feel pressure, check light or sound levels etc. Here are some examples. You can find more.

Asimov's Law

Isaac Asimov was an American author best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. He came up with three laws of robotics which are now very well known. Do you think programmers and others who create robots live by these rules?

Humanoid Robots

Some robots are designed to look and act like a human. Check out Sophie on the Jimmy Fallon show. Sophie is a citizen of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is ruled by the country's royal family. If she was a citizen in the UK where we have the vote, why might that cause problems?

Here are some dancing robots. Programming a robot to dance is difficult because they can easily fall over.

Uses of humanoid robots

India has its first humanoid robot. She assists teachers by giving explanations of the lessons to students. She can work all the time without getting stressed. But what could go wrong with a robot teaching assistant?

AI - Artificial Intelligence

Humanoid robots often use AI to communicate and react to instructions, users' actions or their environment. This is a challenge as you will see from this video of robots playing football.

Machine Learning

Robots can be programmed to learn. Here is Asimov learning to identify objects. Do you think robots will ever be so great at learning that they will be able to think for themselves? Will they ever become sentient (able to experience feelings)?

Here is a robot discussing art with law makers (people who create new law). If we live in a world with many humanoid robots carrying out many different activities, will we end up needing to change the law?

The future of robots

Robots could become more common in the future. Do you think they will ever become completely autonomous? Autonomous means that they would be able to control themselves.