Level: T

DRA: 44
Science
Strategy:
Visualize
Word Count: 1,500

6.5.25 Build Vocabulary

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

1033052
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
 by Jennifer Schultz

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 Next time you‘re in a parking lot, take a look around.
Chances are pretty good that robots helped build the cars
and trucks that you see! In fact, robots help make many of
the products we use in daily life. The number of robots in the
United States is growing every year. Robots can be found in
many other places across the globe, too. There is no doubt
that we are living in a robot world!

A robot like this one might have helped build the chair
you’re sitting on right now!
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 Recognizing Robots
When you put a bag of popcorn
into the microwave, it cooks
your snack for you. So does
that mean your microwave
is a robot? What about your
DVD player? Is your car or
alarm clock a robot? The answer to all
of these questions is no. Although these
are all very useful machines, they are
not robots. Today’s robots come in
all shapes and sizes. They do many
different tasks. For a machine to be
called a robot, it must have a computer,
drive and movement systems,
and sensors.

Jobs that require precise

work are perfect for
robots.
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 Many robotic arms have six degrees of freedom, or
joints. They can move the wrist three ways and the
arm three ways.

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 Robot Systems
Robots have four systems:
• Computer
• Drive
• Movement
• Sensor

First of all, robots are hooked up to or have

computers in them. The computer controls the
actions of a robot and acts like its “brain.” A robot’s
programming can be simple or complex. It depends on
the task it is designed to do.
All robots must also have a drive system. This
is how the robot is powered. Some robots run on
batteries. Others use electricity through a power cord.
Solar energy powers some robots. Others might have
drive systems that run on water or air.
Robots must have a movement system. They might
move objects, move themselves, or both. Many robots
have an arm that can be programmed to move up,
down, and side to side. A robot that paints cars might
have an arm that only moves up and down. A robot
that explores small, inaccessible places, such as an
underwater cave, may not have arms at all.

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 At the end of a
robot’s arm are usually
one or more end
effectors. These parts
act like a hand, but
they don’t look like
one. End effectors can
be any kind of tool.
It might be a magnet,
a shovel, tweezers,
a paintbrush, or a
blowtorch. The end
effectors are literally
the tools a robot needs
to do its job.
Some robots use
sensors to gather
information. They send
the data they collect to
Many robots have grippers
as an end effector.
the robot’s computer.
They can “sense” one
stimulus or many. Some robots have motion sensors.
Others sense dangerous matter in the air. Some robots
are used to “sniff” for bombs that might be hidden in
luggage at airports.

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 Robots in the Past
In the 1950s, stories about robots became very
popular. These stories led scientists to think about
building real robots. The first robots were not as
advanced as those we have today. The invention
of computers made it possible to put “brains” into
machines. Most early robots were used in factories.
Then came the first mobile robots. Two of these
were named Shakey and Flakey. Shakey could locate
items and move them around. For example, Shakey
might be given the command to move a box that
was on a chair. It was able to follow this instruction.
Flakey could follow people and respond to some voice
commands. Then in 1979, one invention made history.
The Stanford Cart became the first robotic vehicle to
move by computer control.

Form Follows Function

People often think that robots look like mechanical
versions of human beings. They might have two arms,
two legs, and a head. However, most robots do not look
like humans at all. Robot designers use the function of
the robot to determine what form it will take. Most
robots are arms that stay in one place to do their job.

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 Robots in the Present
Today, robots have many different kinds of jobs.
Some work in hospitals. They deliver medicine from
room to room. Others mow lawns or vacuum rugs.
An eight-legged robot named Dante II had a
dangerous task. It entered and explored an active
volcano. It then sent back information about when an
eruption was likely to occur. RoboTuna is an uncanny
robot. It looks and swims like a real tuna fish! It can
do underwater exploration or work as a military spy.

This robot explores the

surface of the Moon.

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 Other robots have artificial intelligence to help
them do more complex jobs. These robots often use
sensors to do their job. They might also have extra
features, such as a video camera or a light. Some
robots are used in the military. These robots locate
bombs or swim underwater to find mines. Other
robots work as tour guides. A few years ago, the
National Museum of American History hired a robot
tour guide. It led visitors around the displays and even
gave lectures!
Most robots have dull, repetitive
jobs. Ninety percent of robots today
work in factories. They make parts
for computers, package food,
and build cars. In fact,
over half of the
robots used in
factories work
at car plants.
There they weld
parts together and paint
finished cars.

Robots that move on

treads are ideal for
jobs on rough terrain.
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 Factory robots are able to do tasks that require
the same motion thousands of times a day. Human
workers would get tired and might even get hurt.
But robots never get tired or hurt. They don’t go on
vacation. They never complain, and they rarely take
sick days!
Other robots are more domestic. They work inside
the home. A robot vacuum can keep your carpets
clean without your lifting a finger. It moves in a
specific pattern around the room. The same idea
is used by a robotic lawn mower.
Its sensors help it to avoid bumping into
things. An electric fence keeps it from
mowing your neighbors’ lawn — not
that they would mind! Other
domestic robots can scrub
your floors or clean
your pool.

Thanks to robots like

these, household
chores are no longer
such a chore!
10
 Robots in the Future
In some ways, modern robots are even better than
what early scientists had imagined. In other ways,
though, they still fall short of the ultimate dream. It is
very difficult to make a machine act and think like a
human. We don’t have to worry about robots taking
over the world just yet!
There are many problems with creating intelligent
robots. It is hard to get robots to understand human
speech. Making their vision like ours is a challenge,
too. And, there are limits to the types of intelligence
that today’s robots can have.

Some robots can walk like a human, but they still can’t
think like one.
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 Robot Intelligence
One robot expert shows the growth in robot
intelligence by comparing each stage to the abilities of
a different animal.

some self-direction movement toward

independence

sense emotions/ creative, articulate,

interact with humans rational

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 Some robots, such as those in factories, are
programmed to carry out a specific task. A robot
might be able to pick up and place eggs in a carton.
But, it could not fill a can with tennis balls, even
though the motion is similar. Other robots are given
specific knowledge. A chess robot has every known
chess move programmed. But, that same robot could
not play a game of cards. Neither type of robot can
learn “on the job” or transfer its skills.
Today’s robots are unable to think on their own.
They cannot use past experiences to help them with
new ones. They can only pick up a stimulus that they
have been instructed to recognize. Some robots can
make simple decisions, such as how to avoid an object
in their path. But they cannot make difficult decisions.
Some experts think that robots will be able to
move around on their own in the future. They will be
good at tasks, such as cleaning or delivering packages.
Within 20 years, they should be able to adapt their
own programs. This will make them more efficient.
After 2030, robots may even have interactions with
living things. They might be able to “read” some
emotions. Someday robots may be able to speak,
understand speech, and show creativity.

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 Glossary

drive system (dryv SIS tum) n. the way that a robot

is powered

end effector (end ee FEK tur) n. a tool attached to

a robot’s arm that helps the robot do its job

function (FUNK shun) n. a robot’s job

mobile (MOH buhl) adj. moves freely; a mobile

robot moves without being attached by cords to a
computer or electrical outlet

precise (pree SIGHS) adj. exact and accurate

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 Responding
TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder
A synonym is a word that means the same thing
as another word. Copy the diagram below and
brainstorm synonyms for the word uncanny.

Write About It
Text to Self Write a paragraph describing some
of the jobs that robots can do. Use two words
from the Word Builder in your description.

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 TARGET VOCABULARY

artificial literally
data sensors
domestic stimulus
inaccessible ultimate
interaction uncanny

TARGET STRATEGY Visualize Use text details to

form pictures in your mind of what you are reading.

Which vocabulary word is an antonym

for real?

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Level: T
DRA: 44
Science
Strategy:
Visualize
Word Count: 1,500

6.5.25 Build Vocabulary

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books

1033052
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN