Kick it again; it’s fun!
Do you have any robots about the place? No? Didn’t think you would. Let’s face it, the robotic faces presented in prose and cinema have been with us for decades, but the chances that something brought you a cup of coffee this evening after supper are slim to none. We’ve placed machines that react throughout our factories; the automaton “runs” the industrial world, but the metallic buddy is so far just a dream. We don’t know if androids dream of electric sheep.
Back about two decades ago, we introduced students to the magic of Lego Logo. Although the project never became “mainstream” locally, certain students did understand the idea. With careful planning of procedures, coupled with a modicum of mechanical manipulation, it was possible to “create” machines that reacted to external stimulae. It was also fun! with an exclamation point or three. No matter that the Apple IIe now resides in a museum, or that the Lego Technica product line has evolved, it still comes down to procedures. And just in case I feel the urge to create, there’s a box of blocks in the basement.
Just to balance the picture; sorting all the little bitty pieces of Lego after a class session was akin to a session in manipulative torture, but a teacher never complains until long afterward.
In the real world, the field of robotics is constantly evolving, and today some video footage of a robot that is “self-repairing” brought back a mix of memories and fascination. Somewhere, somebody is still having fun! with that same exclamation point. Their tools are more elaborate, their results are photogenic, and I’m a little bit jealous. Here’s a link: I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
And if you’re a little “creeped out”, that’s OK too. After all, it’s a brave new world ahead of us.
