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    Robots in Space and Research

                      Robots play an important role in space and research programmes. Robots are sent to space because
                      sending a robot in space is much cheaper than sending a human. They don’t need to eat or sleep.
                      Hence, they can work for long hours and they can survive in space for many years and can be left
                      out there for further research. Robots can do a lot of things that humans can’t. Some can withstand
                      harsh conditions, like extreme temperatures or high levels of radiation. Some of the very successful
                      NASA’s robots are:

                                                                 Mars Rovers like Perseverance and Curiosity.

                          A-PUFFER,  which  is the  short  form  for  Autonomous
                         Pop-Up  Flat  Folding  Explorer  Robot,  is  capable  of
                         flattening itself out and duck down to investigate tight
                         spots.

                                                                  The BRUIE robot can float on the water and roll its wheel
                                                               along the underside of an icy surface while taking pictures
                                                               and collecting data. This would be used in future to search
                                                               sign of life on icy bodies elsewhere in the solar system.

                      Toy Robots

                      Robotic  toys,  such  as  Furby,  have  been  popular  since  1998.  There  are  also  small  humanoid
                      remote-controlled robots as well as electronic pets, such as robotic dogs. These robots combine
                      sensors, computation and motors to interact intelligently with their environment.

                                                              Lego and Furby were educational robots introduced in 1998.
                                                            Furby  was  an  inexpensive,  stand-alone  and  interactive  toy.
                                                            It had multiple sensory movements (light, touch, sound, etc.)
                                                            More than 12 million Furbys were sold in one year.

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