Island 1 Cue-The Robot

What Is a Robot?

Robots are any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort, though it may not look like human beings in appearance or perform actions in a humanlike manner. Robotics is the engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, and operation of robots.

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How Do We Control Robots?

Robots need step-by-step instructions to do a job. They can only do what humans program them to do. Programming tells a robot what to do, when to do it, and under what conditions. 

A program tells the robot what do based on input, or information, collected from its environment. Sensors collect that environmental information, send it to the robot's internal computer, which acts like a brain, and then signals are sent to the mechanical parts of the robot to carry out the physical task.

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Modern Robots

Medical and Surgical

In the medical field, robots are used to make precise movements that are humanly difficult.  Currently, robots in the medical field involve the robotic arm and a camera. 

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Military

Robots used by the military can be built with radar and cameras that detect movement. These robots can then be used to alert a human overseer when it detects movement in unauthorized areas, or to respond to other programmed conditions. 

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Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. AI is used in robotic control to make it able to process and adapt to its surroundings. It is able to be programmed to do complex tasks that require decision-making. 

How do you think robots will be used in the future?

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Cue is a Robot

Cue might not look like much more than four spheres, but it is actually a robot with sensors and mechanical parts. It can roll with high speed and agility, make faces on its LED matrix, do tricks, respond to sensor data, and even play games. Cue comes with an application (app) that allows students to control its behavior. Once students learn to control Cue, they will understand more about robots and how they work. The instructions students give Cue can be simple or complex.

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Programming Language

All computers, including robots, are designed to understand a programming language, just like humans learn to understand different languages like English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi.

JavaScript is the language that Cue understands. There are a number of programming languages that different robots use, including Python, Swift, and C++.

One way to program Cue is with code blocks instead of symbols, numbers, and letters. Each block represents a line of JavaScript code. These blocks of code snap together like a line of puzzle pieces. By connecting blocks of code, students create a computer program. Once students create a program in block code, they can see their code translated into JavaScript by selecting the JavaScript Code option from the menu

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