ROBOTS

I write about pirates, sinking ships, asteroids, biology, health, Einstein, and surfing. So why do robots get their own page? Because they are, for the most part, awesome. Even the ones that barely work. The only robots I'm not terribly fond of are the ones that kill people. I like the kinds that are designed to do minor household chores or drive our cars....the kinds of tasks that humans, as highly intelligent and, in my case at least, easily distracted beings, could do without. This guy over here on the left is designed to help computer scientists build up the brains of robots that might someday find their way into our homes. I like him because he looks kind of petulant. As if someone just asked him to clean the dishes and he said no.

Here are a few of my favorite robot-related articles from over the years.

An older piece for Popular Science about the five problems that need to be addressed before we can build a functioning robotic butler. Seven years later, we are getting there.

Another story, in Wired, focused on the importance of the robotic hand. In a way, it's all about the hands, and whether robots can pick up and manipulate a range of objects without breaking or busting them.

Listen in as I speak with NPR about how Santa Claus uses robots to help with his annual mission.

And a story from 2010 about how scientists are working towards using robots to assist in therapy for children on the autism spectrum.

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