H is for Humanoid Robot - ABCs of AI (Elementary)

In this episode, we dive into the letter H, which stands for "Humanoid Robot." You may have seen a humanoid robot on the new The Wild Robot movie or book series. In this episode, get ready to meet robots that look and move like people! We'll explore what humanoid robots are, how they work, and the cool ways they're helping people in the real world.

Key Topics Discussed:

• What is a Humanoid Robot?: Learn about robots that look and move just like humans, with heads, arms, legs, and even faces that can show emotions.
• How Humanoid Robots Work: Discover the different parts like motors and sensors that help humanoid robots move and interact with their surroundings.
• Humanoid Robots in Action: Find out how these robots are used in schools, hospitals, and factories to help people and assist with various tasks.
• Fun Facts: Humanoid robots can practice moving just like you do when learning to ride a bike, and some can even show emotions by changing their facial expressions!

Resources:

• Watch Humanoid Robots in Action: Check out these videos of robots dancing, playing soccer, and helping people:
  • Boston Dynamics Dog Robots | Boston Dynamics Dancing Robots | OpenAI Humanoid Robots
• Build Your Own Robot: Explore these robot kits for kids to build your own humanoid robot and learn how it works:
  • LEGO Robot Kits | VEX Robotics | Botley the Coding Robot
• Fun Books About Robots: Ask your parents or teachers, or explore these books and websites:
  • "AI... Meets... AI" | "AI... Meets... AI: Coloring and AI Activity" | Wild Robot

Thank you for tuning in to our adventure with the letter H for humanoid robot!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the AI for Kids podcast, where playtime, learning and creating collide bit by bit. Ever wonder how your phone recognizes your face. How does a game learn to get harder as you get better? This is AI. This podcast is designed for kids like you and your human parents, making the complex world of AI easy to understand and, most importantly, fun. So are you ready to unlock the mysteries of artificial intelligence? Subscribe and join us on AI for Kids. Join us today as we continue our journey through the ABCs of artificial intelligence.

Speaker 1: 0:34

In this episode, we explore the letter H, which stands for humanoid robot. Ready to meet robots that look and move like people? Let's get started. So what is a humanoid robot? A humanoid robot is a robot that looks and moves just like a person. It has a head, arms, legs and sometimes even a face that can show emotions. Can you think of a robot from a movie or TV show that looks like a person? What's its name? So how do humanoid robots work?

Speaker 1: 1:10

Humanoid robots are made up of a lot of different parts, like motors and sensors that help them move and interact with the world around them. They can walk, talk and sometimes even dance just like people. Humanoid robots are all around us. In some schools, there are humanoid robots that can help teach kids about science and technology. There are also humanoid robots in hospitals. They can take care of patients and assist doctors with information. They have little robots that literally drive around hospitals and you can talk to them and they walk up to you. There's also humanoid robots possibly coming in factories, and already in factories, where they're helping to work on cars and put things together. They're all over the place. So do you want to know some fun facts about humanoid robots? Alrighty, humanoid robots learn to move by practicing, just like you do when you learn to ride a bike or play a sport. Some of those robots can show emotions by changing their facial expressions, making them seem more and more like humans. Humanoid robots can also be helpers for people who need assistance, like for carrying heavy things or reminding them to take their medicine.

Speaker 1: 2:29

So how do AI and humanoid robots work together? So one, there's this thing called smart robots. Ai helps these robots think and make decisions, like understanding what you say or even recognizing your faces. You can even Google some of these humanoid robots and see YouTubes where they're interacting. It also helps robots learn from us, so AI allows these robots to learn from people, picking up new skills and getting better over time. Ai also helps humanoid robots to have conversations, play games and even tell stories, making them very fun companions.

Speaker 1: 3:10

Let's play a game. Let's pretend to be a humanoid robot game. What are you going to need? Just yourself In this activity? I want you to first pretend you're a humanoid robot. Try walking like a robot, moving your arms like one and even talking like one. Second. I want you to think about how you would move and speak if you were a robot. Try using robot-like movements and voices. Lastly, I want you to share your robot moves with your friends or family and see who can be the most convincing humanoid robot.

Speaker 1: 3:43

There's also challenges to building humanoid robots. Building a robot is tricky. Engineers or people who help to build robots have to make sure it can balance, walk and interact with people safely. I'll make sure to drop some videos of these humanoid robots in the show notes so you can actually see them live in action with your parents. Humanoid robots also need to be programmed or taught carefully so they can understand and respond to what people do and say. So how do you learn more about these robots? You can look up videos of robots doing cool things like dancing, playing soccer or helping people. Companies like Boston Dynamics, as well as OpenAI, have robots out there who are already doing these things. You can also build your own robot. There's some robot kits for kids that let you build your own little humanoid robot and learn how it works. And, last but not least, you can ask questions. If you're curious about how robots work, ask your parents or teachers, or explore robots books and websites.

Speaker 1: 4:48

So what's next? I want you to imagine having a humanoid robot as a friend yes, as a friend. What fun things would you do together? How would it help you in your daily life? Share your ideas with someone nearby and dream of the future of humanoid robots together. Share your ideas with someone nearby and dream of the future of humanoid robots together. You can also try activities at home With your parents. You can explore how a humanoid robot works by watching videos or trying out a robot building kit. Even your Legos or other blocks that you have at home, or just paper, cardboard, whatever you have at home. You don't need to buy nothing new. You can use what you have to build your very own robot.

Speaker 1: 5:30

So, kids, thank you as always, for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed this adventure with the letter H for humanoid robot. Keep that curiosity alive and join us next time as we continue exploring the ABCs of AI. Make sure you check out the show notes. I have a lot of cool activities in there for you. All right, see you next time. Bye-bye, thank you for joining us as we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Don't keep this adventure to yourself. Download it, share it with your friends and let everyone else in on the fun. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. See you next time on AI for Kids.