Hi there! Did you know that a few years ago, over 1,000 robots in China danced together at the same time? It was the largest robot dance party ever! Some robots fell during the dance, but the rest did a great job. This got someone named Adalyn curious about robots, so she asked, “Do people really use robots?” Let’s find out!
Marita Cheng is a real-life robot expert who runs a company that designs and builds robots. When she was younger, she wondered why there weren’t more robots in our world, even though we have so much technology. So, she decided to learn all about robots and started creating them herself. Now, she works every day to find ways for robots to help people.
When you think of robots, you might imagine ones from movies with arms, faces, and voices. But most robots today don’t look like humans at all. They are designed to be useful, not human-like. For example, have you seen a robotic vacuum? It’s a small, round robot that cleans floors by itself. It can find dirt, avoid obstacles, and even stop from falling down stairs!
In car factories, big robots with arms help build cars. They lift heavy parts, weld pieces together, and paint cars. These robots don’t need legs or faces; they just need to do their job well. Thanks to them, factories can build many more cars each day than they could before.
Some robots are designed to look and act like humans or animals. For example, there are companion robots like Buddy that can help you study, play games, or send messages. There are also robot dogs like Tombot that act as pets in places where real animals aren’t allowed, like hospitals.
Robots can do amazing things to help people. Marita created a robot arm called Jeva to help her friend Jess, who can’t move her arms or legs. Jeva can be attached to a wheelchair and helps people pick things up or scratch an itch. Robots also help doctors with surgeries, put out fires, and even explore other planets like Mars!
So, do people really use robots? Absolutely! Robots are used all over the world to help us at home, at work, and even in space. They make our lives easier and help us do things we couldn’t do on our own. The possibilities are endless, and who knows what robots will do next!
Thanks for asking such a great question, Adalyn! Remember, there are mysteries all around us, so stay curious and keep exploring!
Robot Spotting Adventure: Go on a “robot spotting” adventure in your home or community. Look for any robots or machines that help people, like a robotic vacuum cleaner or an automatic door. Draw a picture of what you find and write a sentence about how it helps people. Share your findings with your classmates and see how many different types of robots you can discover together!
Design Your Own Robot: Imagine you are a robot inventor like Marita Cheng. What kind of robot would you create to help people? Draw your robot and label its parts. Think about what special job your robot would do and how it would make life easier for people. Present your robot design to the class and explain its features and purpose.
Robot Role Play: With a friend or family member, pretend to be a robot and a human. The “robot” must follow simple instructions given by the “human,” such as picking up a toy or moving to a different room. Switch roles and discuss how robots need clear instructions to perform tasks. Talk about why it’s important for robots to be programmed correctly to help people effectively.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone rings) – Hi, it’s Doug. A few years ago, robots in China broke the world record for the largest robot dance party. Over 1,000 robots were programmed to perform the same dance simultaneously. They did a great job, except for a few robots that fell during their dance moves. Those didn’t count towards the record. Someone named Adalyn has a question about robots. Let’s give Adalyn a call now. (phone rings) – Hi Doug. – Hi Adalyn. – I have a question for you. Do people really use robots? – Ooh, that’s a great question. I know the perfect person to answer it: a real-life robot expert named Marita Cheng. Marita runs a robotics company that designs and builds robots. Let’s give Marita a call now. (phone rings) – Hi, Marita. – Hey Doug, I heard you have a question for me. – I do, and it’s a good one. Adalyn wants to know, do people really use robots? – Ooh, I like that one. You know, when I was a teenager, I would look around and think, “It’s so strange that we don’t have robots in our world.” A long time ago, people predicted a future full of robots—robot hairstylists, robot sweepers, robot everything. But when I looked around my neighborhood, that wasn’t really happening. I started to wonder, with all this technology like computers and the internet, why can’t we use that same technology to build robots to help us in our daily lives? Then I thought, I should just start creating these robots myself. It became my goal in life. I studied robotics in school and learned all I could about building them. And guess what? Now I run a robotics company, and every day I’m trying to come up with ways for people to use robots to make their lives easier. That’s why I really like Adalyn’s question. Before I answer it, though, I’m curious: Have you ever seen someone use a robot in real life? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you ready? Now, I’m not sure how you answered, but some of you may have said you’ve never seen someone using a robot before. Maybe that’s because you were thinking about some of the robots you see in movies or on TV. That’s what a lot of people think of when they think of robots—they think of robots having arms and faces or even talking like humans. That’s how our idea of a robot might have started out. But did you know that most things we call robots today don’t look or act like humans at all? That’s because we don’t need robots to be human; we need them to be useful. Have you ever seen one of these? A robotic vacuum is one of the most popular robots in homes today. It can find dirt, change directions when it runs into objects, and even avoid falling down stairs. Notice it doesn’t look anything like a human, and that’s a good thing. Its thin, round shape helps it go under tables and sofas and roll around corners. A robot that looked like a human wouldn’t be able to do that very well. And take a look at these huge robots. They don’t talk or have faces, but they do have arms, and that’s exactly what they need to help us make cars. Believe it or not, about half of all the robots in the world are in car factories. Robotic arms lift heavy things like engines, weld parts together, and even paint the car when it’s finished. They don’t need legs to walk around like C-3PO to do that. No, they’re designed to do one thing: help human workers build cars. And they do that really well. At first, a factory could only build one car a day, but now, with robots helping, they can build 1,000. Okay, but what about robots that look like the ones we see in the movies? Are there any robots like that? There actually are. Sometimes it’s useful to build a robot that can walk and talk like a human or even an animal. Check out these companion robots; robots like Buddy are designed to keep people company. They can help you send messages, study for tests, and even play games. And take a look at this robot dog. It almost looks real, and it’s supposed to. Robots like Tombot act as pets in places where dogs and cats aren’t allowed, like hospitals and retirement homes. So robots, whether they look like the ones in the movies or not, really are useful, and they can make a big difference in our lives. When I was younger, I met a friend named Jess, who has quadriplegia. This means she can’t move her legs or arms and do things that many of us find simple, like picking up a toy or getting a drink from the fridge. She can’t even scratch her face if she has an itch. And she’s not the only one; there are many kids and adults who can’t do these things. So I decided to make a robot to help. This is Jeva. Jeva is a robotic arm that can be attached to the side of a wheelchair to help people like Jess pick things up. A person can control Jeva by moving their head to grip objects or even scratch an itch. And that’s certainly one way robots are making a difference. Robots are helping doctors with surgery, putting out fires, and rescuing people. They’re even helping people explore places they’ve never been before on Earth and on other planets like Mars, where humans haven’t been able to visit yet. (rockets blasting) – [NASA worker] Touchdown confirmed. Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars. (crowd cheering) – The possibilities are endless. So do people really use robots? They definitely do. Robots are being used all over the world to help us at home, at work, and even in space. (wind rustles) That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Adalyn, for asking it. – [Doug] Now, for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and picked out three questions sent in to me that I’m thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: How do refrigerators get cold? Why can’t we remember being babies? Or, “Why do flowers smell good?” So submit your vote when the video is over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week.
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