i3 - September/October 2017 - 16

Tech

By Susan Schreiner
C 4 T R E N DS

Robots, Kids and the Future

ntil 1977, people used to think about robots as machines
that performed pre-programmed tasks with limited memory. With the premiere of the first Star Wars movie, our
perception of robots changed forever. The film introduced us to
R2-D2 and his companion, C-3PO - two friendly and non-threatening robots called droids. We didn't think much about how they
could respond to natural language. Fast forward 40 years and robots
are becoming a part of daily life, as the triumvirate of robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning takes hold. The Star Wars
revolution brought with it fans who built their own robots, aka
"Droid Builders." There's even an R2-D2 Builders Club, aimed at
motivating students to learn more about engineering and robotics.
The reality now is that many of the
"old" jobs are gone forever but are being
replaced by new opportunities. The U.S. is
leading the world in robotics investments,
according to the Center for Economic and
Business Research. Going forward, robots
are more likely to replace activities within
jobs rather than jobs outright. Humans
will likely augment robots. For humans,
acquiring skills like coding will be critical
for future jobs.

infrared color and touch sensors and
nine alternative programming languages.
WowWee's robotic toys teach kids
how to develop their own apps to control
products. WowWee's MinionMil based
on the Despicable Me franchise is a balancing robot that responds to hand gestures and is controlled from an app called
Turbo Dave. Also included is a coding
platform for programming fun. With
WowWee's Coji Coding Robot, kids solve

The Future of Work

Preparing Digital Natives

Today, coding products are marketed
to children as young as three in the
hopes of encouraging a lifelong passion.
Robots make skills like critical thinking,
problem-solving, languages and math
tangible in a fun and challenging
way, while imparting skills to
prepare youngsters for future
jobs. Robots can walk, talk
and play games, all controlled
by a simple interface with
a smartphone or tablet.
Lego sparks imaginations. A favorite of coding
enthusiasts is Lego's
Mindstorm EV3. It combines Lego bricks with
robust programming capabilities including carrying
out "missions" to building
custom bots. Features include
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

problems using emojis and emoticons.
This robot teaches the basics of programming with the classic :). Early readers
play educational games that test memory
and introduce coding concepts such as
command sequences. Coji also reacts to
physical stimulation like tilting.
Don't be fooled by the playful design
of Cozmo by Anki. It's definitely for
more advanced learners. Cozmo's face
is a rectangular LCD screen and its
only features are its expressive eyes.
It responds intelligently to its environment. Cozmo plays a number of games
and when it wins, it looks smug. If it
loses, it may angrily knock the blocks
over. Cozmo's built-in "emotion engine,"
designed by robotics experts from
Carnegie Mellon University, make it
one of the smartest robots that learns
from experience. The owner's interactions with Cozmo shape its personality,
from a grouchy bot to a playful one -
and the engagements grow Cozmo's
"brain." You can even write code for
Cozmo using the Anki developer's site.

Lego's Mindstorm
EV3 combines Lego
bricks with robust
programming
capabilities.

Google's charitable arm is investing
$50 million in an initiative aimed
at helping people prepare for the
changing nature of work. Its two-year
commitment will help fund nonprofits
focused on three areas: helping connect job seekers with jobs; improving
job quality for low-wage workers;
and creating effective training programs including technology skills.
Robot toys can help to prepare young
people for a future where robots imbued
with AI and machine learning will act as
assistants at home and at work. Robots
are envisioned to enhance lifestyles and
free people to focus on more valuable
and creative work.

CONTACT: Reach Susan at
susan@c4trends.com
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

https://www.anki.com/ http://wowwee.com/ http://www.lego.com

i3 - September/October 2017

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