Page 137 - Digicode_AI_class_6
P. 137

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 human 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  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  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.













                                                                                       Types of Robots   135
   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142