What Our Robotics Lab Has to Offer
Whether you’re an old school robot enthusiast who loves B-9 from Lost in Space or Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet, a Star Wars movie buff who enjoys anything to do with the lovable duo R2-D2 AND C-3PO, or you just can’t get enough of johnny 5 from Short Circuit, we hope you find something to your liking in our Robotics Lab.
What We Hope to Offer in Our Robotics Lab
We’ve been collecting robots here at STEM Detective Lab since before we wrote our first article, and new ones always seem to find their way into our hearts. Over time we hope to introduce you to as many of the robots in our lab as possible.
In addition to the in-depth reviews we’re creating for each of our robots on our Meet the Robots in Our Lab page, we are hard at work creating a Robot of the Month page where you will soon find fun activities, videos, and more. And if you’re currently in the market for a new robot, check out our Buying the Perfect Robot article for tips on finding just the right bot for you and your kids.
Check back from time to time to see how we’re doing, or use our Contact Us page to sign up for our email subscriber list. We’ll be sure to let you know when additional material is available.
What is a Robot?
Merriam-Webster defines a robot in two ways. First, as a machine that resembles a living creature in being capable of moving independently and performing complex actions. And second, as a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks.
But robots are so much more than machines used to perform a specific task. Today, robots are also an engaging tool you can use to nurture your kids’ interest in STEM-related fields. Exposure to the world of robotics can increase your kids’ creativity as they see their ideas come to life, and this exposure can help them grow their problem-solving skills as they learn to think outside the box when their design doesn’t work quite right the first time. Robotics can also be an exciting way to introduce your kids to computer programming or take their coding skills to the next level.
What Types of Robots Are Available?
You can choose from pre-assembled robots or robot kits that will give your kids the extra thrill of assembling the robot themselves. You can find app-enabled robots or robots that use a remote control only. And some of today’s more popular robots are programmable with kid-friendly languages like Scratch, Python, JavaScript, and Apple’s Swift Playground.
Robot Fun Facts
- The word ‘robot’ comes from the Czech word ‘Robota’ which means drudgery or hard work.
- The smallest robot, known as a nanobot, is less than 1/1000th of a millimeter.
- A robot doesn’t actually think on its own, you program it to do what you want it to do.
- Westinghouse built the first humanoid robot in 1939. Elektro was 7 feet tall and spoke 700 words.
- As of February 2021, Mars has sent 5 robotic vehicles, known as Mars rovers, to Mars – Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance.
- Sojourner landed on Mars in July 1997 as part of NASA’s Mars Pathfinder Mission.
- Spirit & Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004 as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Mission.
- Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012 as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Mission.
- Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021 as part of NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission.
We hope you enjoy your time in our Robotics Lab. Feel free to use our Contact Us page to sign up for our email subscriber list. We’ll be sure to let you know when additional material is available.