Ioannis Somalakidis, representative of the company Knowledge Research, talks about the relationship between robots and humans in Athens Science Festival blog.

What kind of skills can children develop through their contact with robots?
The students that are trained in educational robotics learn how to operate as a team, to change roles, to solve problems, to implement projects. This is the actual meaning of robotics, as a science.

How are robots being constructed and how can one program his/her own robot?
In educational robotics there are specific educational scenarios according to which the students learn how to build their robots step by step, following electronic or printed instructions, and then they program the robots themselves. Such a project may not always be successful at first attempt, so through this process the child learns how to follow rules, to improve the construct and to retry until the robot is perfect.

Which robots help us today in our everyday life?
Our everyday life is full of robotics applications, with robotics meaning automations. For example, when you don’t fasten your seatbelt, the car system gives you a warning, or when you visit the bank a sensor detects motion and the doors open automatically. Nowadays, even surgical procedures are performed with robotic systems, and our household washing machines have automations too.

What services will robots be able to offer in the future?
Robots, meaning automations and not humanoids, will be a common feature of our everyday life, being applied in all the objects we use, aiming to provide security and information. That is because robots can detect and measure everything that flies in the air and lies on the ground and even underground, and therefore by taking reliable measurements we will be able to make valid conclusions and improve our lives.

INTERVIEW TO RUTH LEVY

Get initiated in the world of robots through specialized Workshops for Children, in Athens Science Festival.