Date: Fri 31-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-robots

Full Text:

Robots Roll Into The Classroom For A Visit

(with photos)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Robots surprised students at St Rose Parochial School and Sandy Hook School.

Third to fifth grade students at Sandy Hook School were sprayed by a

water-squirting robot, questioned by a talking robot, and then got to program

their own robotic contraptions as part of a demonstration and workshop on the

science of robotics given by Tom Swenson of Mobile Ed on Monday, October 27.

The whole school, from kindergarten to eighth grade, at St Rose was involved

in a similar exhibition the following day.

Mr Swenson described how robots have been used in surgery, sent to explore

Mars, looked for lost caverns in pyramids, explored deep underwater and have

tested unsafe underground mines. The marines even have spidery robots that

they can send to locate land mines on shore.

Mr Swenson commented that today there are 650,000 robots working in industry,

from the manufacture of automobiles to toys.

With many career opportunities in robotics, Mr Swenson encouraged students to

study computers, math and science so that one day they could go on to program

and develop robots to do a variety of jobs.

The robots that Mr Swenson presented were not able to explore Mars, but they

did offer an interesting repertoire of programming, including talking,

singing, moving and responding to the audience.

The audience at both schools played 20 questions with a robot. "Does it have a

long neck?" the flat voice of the robot asked. Students at Sandy Hook clapped

to indicate "yes." The robot made a logical conclusion, and asked the right

question. "Is it a giraffe?"

The audience was also amused by the robot's rather labored singing of "Old

McDonald had a robot, ee-iy-ee-iy-o. "

Mr Swenson explained how, contrary to Hollywood images, most robots move on

many small wheels, not legs. This is because the movements required to bend

and walk are very complicated to program. This year is the first year that a

true walking robot has been developed.

In an earlier assignment, leading up to the robotics demonstration, students

in Mrs Handler's class at Sandy Hook School had to design (on paper) a robot

to do a despised job around their house. Many students wanted to build robots

to clean their rooms for them, and Mr Swenson showed them a unit that could

pick things up and move them around, just like they do to tidy their rooms.

Mr Swenson had the HERO 2000 robot (made by the Zenith Company) ask a student

for a can of soda, which it then carried across the room and politely

delivered to a more thirsty student.

This robot has a turning waist and a robotic arm, and could move all about the

floor and speak clearly. As kids were thinking about additions to their

Christmas wish lists, Mr Swenson had to tell them that the HERO 2000 costs

about $6,000.

In workshops after the presentation, students had a chance to program smaller

robotic units, designed to drive a certain path, to carry small objects, and

to speak and respond to the students.

Robots can sometimes take the initiative and speak up for themselves, as Mr

Swenson described. One day when he was driving his van he heard "help, help,

help" coming out of the large crate in the back of his van.

Rushing to open the box, he found a frustrated robot that had "woken up" from

being recharged. It was trying to explore the box, and repeatedly bumping into

the sides. This robot, like others used in hospitals to deliver supplies and

medications, are programmed to speak up when they get stuck.

Maybe one day, commented Mr Swenson, "your house will be run by a central

computer system, essentially a robot. Maybe it will tell you when to get up,

keep your house the right temperature, and let you know if there is an

intruder."

Maybe, when the cost of technology comes down enough, it might even tidy your

room - especially if some of today's students from St Rose and Sandy Hook

schools get involved in the robotics field.