Robot

Cosma / Communication / Media / Simulation / Hardware / Robot

One, a robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; Two, a robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; Three, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. — Isaac Asimov, Laws of Robotics in I, Robot

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Introduction¹

Tech Policy Lab, University of Washington, YouTube Channel)
Tech Policy Lab, University of Washington, Official Website)

Dictionary

robot : a mechanism guided by automatic controls — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Robot (FOLDOC: Free Online Dictionary of Computing)

Thesaurus

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Robot is a mechanical intelligent agent which can perform tasks on its own, or with guidance. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous or semi-autonomous and come in those two basic types: those which are used for research into human-like systems, such as ASIMO and TOPIO, as well as those into more defined and specific roles, such as Nano robots and Swarm robots; and helper robots which are used to make or move things or perform menial or dangerous tasks, such as Industrial robots or mobile or servicing robots. Another common characteristic is that, by its appearance or movements, a robot often conveys a sense that it has intent or agency of its own. — Wikipedia

Robot (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Outline

Outline of Robotics (Wikipedia)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

Creepy Old Bots - Before there were robots, there were automata. Automata are old-fashioned robot like contraptions, and they tend to make the news from time to time. The latest example is a 360° video featurette from the BBC about The House of Automata. Here’s a link to that video. The Strange Dolls That Come to Life (BBC Global) … Continue reading Creepy Old Bots
Furby Hacking - It’s odd how some toy fads come and go as one hit wonders while others seem to stick around and take on a life of their own. Of course, there’s no question that one of the oddest toys with the longest track record is Hasbro’s Furby. Whether you’re a Furby lover or hater, you have … Continue reading Furby Hacking

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Inspiration

10 Amazing Robot Animals That Will Blow Your Mind (EverythingTop10, YouTube Video)

Robobee (Wyss Institute, Harvard)
Pleurobot (EPFL)
Spot (Boston Dynamics)
Robotic Fish (MIT)
Cheetah 3 (MIT)
Mini Cheetah (MIT)
Bionic Kangaroo (Festo)
TentacleGripper Gripper (Festo)
Miroe (Consequential Robotics)
Aibo (Sony)

Talks about Robots (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about Robots (Big Think)

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Innovation

Robotics (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, YouTube Playlist)

Technology

How Engineering Robots Works (Crash Course Engineering, YouTube Video)

Product

Robot (Etsy)
Robot Gifts (Zazzle)

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Preservation

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Participation

Education

Robotics (Science Trek)

Robotics (PBS Learning Media)

Robots (Crash Course Computer Science, YouTube Video)
How Engineering Robots Works (Crash Course Engineering, YouTube Video)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Course

ECOMP 5018 Introduction to Educational Robotics ²

Mechanical Engineering 2.12 Introduction to Robotics (Harry Asada and John Leonard, MIT OpenCourseware)

Robotics and Control Systems (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Robotics Courses (edX)

Occupation

Robotics Engineers (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

Organization

International Federation of Robotics
IEEE Robotics & Automation Society

News

Robotics News & Articles (IEEE Spectrum)
Robots (EurekaAlert, AAAS)
Robots (JSTOR)
Robotics (Science Daily)

Recent News from Science Daily …

AI searched 100 million possibilities and found a...
on August 27, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Researchers used AI to search through more than 100 million possible settings for 3D-printing a high-performance NASA alloy. After only 40 experiments, the system identified six successful configurations, including one that worked at a record-low 500 watts. That could allow GRCop-42, currently difficult and expensive to print, to be made with much more widely available equipment.
A hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally...
on August 23, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Researchers have used AI to uncover the DNA signature of a key genetic “switch” involved in turning genes on. After analyzing about 500,000 DNA sequences, the model identified the initiator in roughly 60% of human genes. The breakthrough could help predict the effects of harmful mutations and eventually contribute to decoding the broader genetic instructions that control gene activity throughout the body.
Tiny robots powered by light can hunt down and...
on August 18, 2026 at 10:21 pm
Researchers have built microscopic, light-driven robots that can rapidly navigate through liquid, collect bacteria, and deposit them in chosen locations. These tiny “cleaners” could open new possibilities for manipulating cells and microbes with remarkable precision.
Scientists turn DNA into a memory device that...
on August 17, 2026 at 8:06 am
Researchers combined synthetic DNA with a semiconductor to create an ultra-low-power memory device capable of storing and processing information in the same place. The bio-hybrid technology could eventually help make AI systems and next-generation computers far more energy efficient.
Claude Fable 5 AI finds a tiny formula that...
on August 6, 2026 at 2:02 am
A mathematician working at Anthropic says he used the AI model Claude Fable 5 to uncover a remarkably simple counterexample to the Jacobian conjecture, a famous problem that has resisted mathematicians for more than a century. The result shows that the conjecture is false in three dimensions and above, although the original two-dimensional version remains unsolved.

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Expression

Arts

DW Euromaxx (YouTube Channel)
DW Euromaxx (Official Website)

Origin and Develoopment of Robotic Art (Eduardo Kac)
Robotic Art (Wikipedia)

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Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.

Media

Function	Communications	Computation	Storage	Creation	Simulation
Analog	Mail	Device	Paper	Type, Print	Automaton
Electronic	Network	Calculator	Tape	Record	Elektro
Digital	Internet	Computer
Hardware	Modem	Microprocessor	Memory	Peripheral	Robot, XR
Software	Service (Web)	Program (OS, SS)	Database	Application	AI, VW

Format Multimedia (Video, Animation) Image (Object) Scent, Flavor, Audio (Text) Haptic, “Other“

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Notes

1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.

2. This page was compiled by M. E. Hopper for ECOMP 5018 Introduction to Educational Robotics while serving as a faculty member of Technology in Education at Lesley University. It has been expanded and updated since then.