Up close and personal with robots at the Franklin Institute

On a rainy Saturday in October, the third floor Robot Revolution exhibit at the Franklin Institute is a beehive of activity. While kids jockey for position in front of interactive robotics displays, parents and a few curious adults (such as yours truly) read the many placards and consider the widespread implications of the oncoming “revolution.”

In a video on display, one scientist anticipates the spread of robotics into everyday life will have an outsized impact on society, much like how the internet has fundamentally changed how we live our lives. If technologies like what I saw at the exhibit become commonplace, I must say that I agree—and it’s hard not to share his excitement.

What’s in a Robot? Chips, motors, and CODE

There’s a lot of talk these days about the importance of coding education. If motors are the muscles of a robot and computer chips are its brain, its code is something akin to its thoughts and thought processes. Coding knowledge is fundamental for robot designers, but it can also help consumers customize our own robots. The 14-year old Roomba robotic vacuum, for example, became such a smash hit with tinkerers that iRobot now sells models designed specifically for hacking. They ship complete with project instructions, 3D printable files, and more accessories to make hacking Roombas a seamless experience.

Human is as human does

Some robotics initiatives seek to perfectly imitate human features and functions. This ambitious goal marks a necessary step for using robots as caregivers and servants—a kind of dream scenario that has long been part of the robotics movement. Humans interact with the world primarily through our senses, so making a robot humanoid requires giving it the ability to see, hear and even feel like humans do. Ever make eye contact with a robot? It’s an uncanny feeling.

One of my favorite parts of the exhibit was a table holding ten types of modular building blocks that connect magnetically. Each block is the same size and shape, but performs a unique function. I built a funny little contraption that moved like a remote control car at the wave of my hands. I wanted to stay and experiment, but I thought I had better leave that to the many younger ones swarming the table.

The modular build-it-yourself robot tables are a magnet for creative energy.

Robot games

As 1:30 approached, a crowd gathered around a little soccer arena as attendees waited patiently for two teams of soccer robots to come alive. The bots moved with astounding precision. The goalie was good, but not good enough! He was outfoxed by the opposing forward as the bright orange golf ball careened into the net. Score! The crowd goes wild! Elsewhere, an industrial robot was patiently solving a Rubik’s cube. Even though it boasted calculating the solution in about 2.5 seconds, the actual solving part took far longer than it did for Bucks County teen Collin Burns, who holds the current world record. I guess humans are still faster at some things. And then there was Baxter, the tic-tac-toe robot who plays two games at once. I felt embarrassed when some parents had to restrain their daughter who jumped in line ahead of me, but I couldn’t deny that I really, really wanted to play.

Go ahead, build your own robot

One of my favorite parts of the exhibit was a table holding ten types of modular building blocks that connect magnetically. Each block is the same size and shape, but performs a unique function. I built a funny little contraption that moved like a remote control car at the wave of my hands. I wanted to stay and experiment, but I thought I had better leave that to the many younger ones swarming the table.

Are robots evil?

When I think of robots, I can’t help but recall scenes from Sci-Fi blockbusters like The Matrix and I, Robot. For me, the fears reflected in these films will always be the elephant in the room. But those films are fiction, as real as stories of Bigfoot or Godzilla. What I saw at the Franklin Institute was real—a flourish of scientific progress, a stomping ground for curiosity, and a shimmering reflection of humanity.

The Robot Revolution exhibit at the Franklin Institute runs until April 2nd, 2017. Admission is free for members until December 31st. Please visit the Franklin Institute website for more information.

Chris Coletta – October 22, 2016