Your class may choose one or more of these activities/discussion topics.

1. Robot Video (or Image) Hunt
   • Many robots are good at doing one specific task (like "making toast" or "climbing a ladder").
   • With your partner, think of a specific activity and find a video of a robot doing that activity (make sure it's actually a robot and not a human dressed like a robot or a cartoon of a robot).
   • Think of at least 3 activities that you think no other pair of students has thought of (keep the videos open on different tabs on your computer).
   • As a class, see how many unique robot activities you've found.
2. Research different ways that robots are modeled after animals (especially non-human ones) and what the robots are used for. Share your findings and discuss your own innovative ideas for designs or uses for robotic animals. Some examples:
   • Robots Blur the Lines between Biology and Engineering (AAAS)
   • Collection of news articles
   • Tiny Little Multi-Modal Picobug Walks, Flies, Grabs Stuff (IEEE Spectrum)
   • Cockroach-like robots may be the future of disaster help (CBS)
   • These undercover robot animals are helping in the hunt for poachers (Washington Post)
3. Many robots are being developed to be used to respond to disasters, whether to search for and rescue people or to clean up radioactive sites. Research recent developments and continuing challenges in this area of robotics. For example:
   • Robots, drones and heart-detectors: How disaster technology is saving lives (CNN)
   • These Robots That Swim, Fly and Crawl Come to the Rescue after Disasters (Observer) and associated video These robots come to the rescue after a disaster (TED)
   • Navy calls on researchers to create firefightining humanoid robot (ComputerWorld)
4. Robots have also changed the field of medicine. Research some of these innovations and consider how the technology is changing lives. Some examples:
   • A robot will likely assist in your future surgery (ComputerWorld)
   • Collection of articles
   • This Robot Makes Doctor Visits Less Terrifying for Kids (IEEE Spectrum)