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

Glossary

Learn About Robot: Glossary

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)

Commerce

Product

Robot (Etsy)
Robot Gifts (Zazzle)

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Preservation

History

A Brief History of Robotics (Sci Show, YouTube Video)

Man-Machine from the Greeks to the Computer (Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas)

Museum

Robotics Exhibit (New Media Museum)
Robots Collection (New Media Museum)

Library

DDC: 629.892 Robots (Library Thing)
Subject: Robots (Library Thing)

Subject: Robots (Open Library)

LCC: TJ 210.2 Robots (UPenn Online Books)

LCC: TJ 210.2 Robots (Library of Congress)
Subject: Robots (Library of Congress)

Subject: Robots (WorldCat)

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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)

Community

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 uncovers hidden Ozempic side effects across...
    on September 13, 2026 at 10:46 am

    AI analysis of 400,000 Reddit posts found that users of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound reported unexpected symptoms including menstrual changes, chills, hot flashes, and fatigue. Researchers cannot say the medications caused these problems, but the patterns may reveal overlooked signals worth studying.

  • Scientists just made quantum computer operations...
    on September 11, 2026 at 11:52 am

    Researchers have found a way to perform certain quantum operations more than 1,000 times faster, cutting thousands of repeated control cycles down to just one. The advance could reduce errors and bring reliable, fault-tolerant quantum computers closer to reality.

  • Scientists find a way to slash computer memory...
    on September 7, 2026 at 1:14 am

    Scientists have devised a new way to switch magnetic computer memory while using far less energy than today's leading technologies. By mathematically optimizing the pulses used to flip digital bits, the method could reduce energy consumption by several orders of magnitude. Simulations suggest it may bring future memory devices surprisingly close to the fundamental physical limit for processing information. The same idea could eventually work with electrical currents or ultrafast lasers.

  • AI can now control fusion plasma faster than...
    on September 6, 2026 at 7:28 am

    Princeton researchers have tested an AI system that can monitor and control fusion plasma in milliseconds, reacting far faster than a human operator. In one experiment, it predicted a damaging instability about 200 milliseconds before it appeared and adjusted the plasma to stop it from forming.

  • 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.

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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)

returntotop

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Related

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.

Related Presentations

Hopper, M. E. (2005, July). Getting Started with Robotics: Clubs, Competitions and Communities [Birds of a Feather Session]. National Educational Computing Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Hopper, M.E. & LaFountain, D. (2004, June). Robotics in the Classroom [Birds of a Feather Session]. National Educational Computing Conference, New Orleans, LA.