Sashay Magazine / May 2010 / Hi, Robot

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Hi, Robot

The robotic vehicle wheeled slowly toward me, lasers and cameras in its blue rotating frame scanning me along with the surrounding hotel courtyard. Nearby, a university researcher with a handheld computer examined the 3D color maps the robot creates. The robot, presented at a robotic conference in Massachusetts, could one day be used for architecture or military map making. It is one of many I have encountered in my career as a science writer.

As a science writer (a reporter who focuses on science news), I’ve seen amazing technologies at the forefront of research and design. These projects push the boundaries of today’s technology and promise more efficient, functional and intuitive devices to improve our lives. I’ve seen robots do a variety of tasks to assist humans—robots such as an intelligent, hose-equipped vehicle that can help firefighters put out fires; a responsive automaton called Keepon meant to encourage autistic children to be social, and a robot that can help doctors perform precise surgeries.

While I get excited about the new robots I meet and their fantastic potential, I remember to keep a practical outlook. Most of the robots and devices I write about have a lot of limitations to overcome before we’ll see them in everyday life. Right now, robots are most commonly used in factories to do difficult, repetitive work, and also for military purposes, such as dismantling bombs and scouting areas ahead of soldiers. This is because robots—aside from certain toys or vacuum cleaners—are far from being cheap enough to produce for individual consumers. When parts are cheaper and more robust, and algorithms (the robots’ “brains”) become more versatile, we will see more robotic assistants in homes, hospitals, schools and other places.

I am consistently amazed at the compelling and visionary work I come across at labs, conferences, companies, and journal papers, in robotics and in other fields. In my work, I strive to express my findings to a more general audience, people who are not necessarily involved in science. Polls on Americans’ basic science knowledge suggest that we as a country are lacking in basic science understanding. A national survey done by the California Academy of Sciences last year found that, out of more than 1,000 Americans polled, only 21% were able to pass a basic science literacy test. (See details of the poll here: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115133.htm.) This is worrisome, because knowing the basics as well as what’s going on in current research makes us better informed citizens who can understand exactly what is at stake when politicians talk about new sources of energy, stem cells, space travel, or the consequences of an oil spill.

At the technology magazine where I work, I try my best to express what I find to the public in ways that are clear and accessible. Like many of my science writer colleagues, I began in science, working in a lab. But talking to other researchers about projects they were working on was more interesting to me than carrying out experiments. Plus I had enjoyed writing since I was 6 years old, so the field of science reporting seemed like the perfect career. Ever since, I learn about new things almost every day—from frog eggs and sunspots to fuel cells and augmented reality. It’s a transition I’m happy I’ve made.

Kristina is a writer for Technology Review magazine, based in Cambridge, MA. She covers technology, including robotics, hardware, software and biomedicine. She has written for Sky & Telescope magazine, the Journal for the National Cancer Institute and Alzforum, and she recently won the AAS SPD Popular Writing Award (spd.aas.org/spd_popwriting.html). You can follow her personal robotics blog at kristinag.com and follow her on Twitter at @kgrifant.