Whizz Pop Bang Science Magazine for Kids! Issue 71: ROBOTS ROCK

ISSN 2399 -2840

THE AWESOME SCIENCE MAGAZINE FOR KIDS!

Meet a space robot designer

Peek inside a driverless car

Engineer a robotic arm

S T O B RO !

K C O R o-r evolution b o r e th to e m o Welc

Make a DoodleBot

Craft a springy-armed Y!

The awesome world of AI WHIZZPOPBANG.COM ISSUE 71

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Welcome to the rocking world of robots!

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THE AWESOME SCIEN CE MAGAZINE FOR KIDS!

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WHIZZ POP BANG is only available by subscription. If you haven’t subscribed yet, simply go to whizzpopbang.com and sign up for as little as £3.33 per magazine, including UK delivery. Back issues are available to purchase at whizzpopbang.com/shop With the help of Whizz Pop Bang magazine, just imagine what your child might one day discover!

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Welcome to WHIZZ POP BANG – the magazine bursting with enticing articles, mind-boggling facts and hands-on experiments to get your child hooked on science! Whizz Pop Bang is a gender-neutral magazine with plenty of inspirational male and female scientists and content that appeals to all children.

The magazine is ideal for home educators and it’s linked to the national curriculum too, for use in schools. Whizz Pop Bang will help with literacy development as well. Transform science teaching in your school with our hands-on science and reading resources. Our downloadable lesson packs link fun science experiments and reading with key curriculum topics for years 2-6. Subscribe at whizzpopbang.com/schools

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As well as our writers, we also have a team of science advisers who help to ensure that our content is accurate, up-to-date and relevant. Our advisers include: palaeontologist Steve Brusatte; molecular microbiologist Matt Hutchings; robotics engineer Abbie Hutty; mechanical engineer Amiee Morgans; GP Dr Cathy Scott; astronomer Mark Thompson; physicist Dr Jess Wade; child psychologist Dr Naira Wilson.

To find out more, go to whizzpopbang.com/about

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Editor-in-Chief: Jenny Inglis Editor: Tammy Osborne Assistant Editor: Tara Pardo Designers: Rachael Fisher and Simon Oliver Illustrator: Clive Goodyer Staff writer: Joanna Tubbs Contributors: Sarah Bearchell, Claire Cock-Starkey, Joe Inglis, Poppy Inglis and Isabel Thomas

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Will the dream of a bedroomtidying robot become a reality ?

Join us on a robot revolution to discover how robots are already helping us with thousa nds of jobs all over the world and to imagine what they migh t be doing by the time you’ve grown up! You can also get bu sy constructing a scribbling DoodleBot, creating your own robot coding game, engineerin g a robotic arm and cutting ou t and making a springy-armed version of our favourite robo t Y!

CONTENTS

Saving sea turtles, making oxygen on Mars and high hopes for a new malaria vaccine.

ROBOT TAKEOVER!

Explore these programmable mega machines and enter the awesome world of AI. Engineer a robotic arm, make a DoodleBot and lots more!

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ANIMAL ANTICS

Engineers have been inspired by geckos’ extraordinarily sticky feet – find out all about these cold-blooded climbers.

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SILLY SCIENCE

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Fill in the blanks to make your own rib-tickling, ridiculous robot tale!

EMMI’S ECO CLUB

Use natural materials to create a robot coding game.

Atom

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PULLOUT

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Craft a springy-armed Y with jumping flames, plus a chance to win an awesome Picoh bot.

INTERVIEW WITH A SCIENCE HERO

Meet a space robot designer whose work includes a robotic arm for the ISS and a special space suit!

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g in er ine g En

Peek inside a driverless car to discover the incredible robotic tech inside it.

TEN AWESOMELY AMAZING…

Robot animals, including tiny RoboBees, bionic ants and a solar-powered SlothBot!

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SENSATIONAL SCIENTISTS

Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician whose inventions formed the basis of early computer science.

Y’S WONDER CLUB

Ask our robot, Y, your burning science questions and share all of your adventures in science with the club.

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I’d love to see pictures of your experiments!

Send them to Y@whizzpopbang.com SPECTACULAR SCIENCE

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HOW STUFF WORKS

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©N AS A

© Boston Dynamics

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AWESOME NEWS AND AMAZING FACTS

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QUIZ POP BANG AND COMPETITION

Test your knowledge with our super-duper science quiz and win a robotics kit!

Atlas the running, jumping, somersaulting robot is one of the most agile robots on the planet!

JOKES AND ANSWERS

Laugh out loud at some awesome jokes and find the answers to all of our quizzes, puzzles and riddles.

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FIND THE SCIENCE EQUIPMENT Hidden on each double page is a piece of science equipment. Tick each one to find the complete kit!

s Awesome New cts and Amazing Fa NEW HOPE FOR MALARIA © Riccardo Mayer / Shutterstock.com

Our friend Percy (AKA NASA’s Perseverance rover) has been busy on Mars! In April, it successfully extracted enough oxygen from the Martian atmosphere to allow a human to breathe for 10 minutes. This might not sound like a lot, but it shows that future astronauts could make their own oxygen on Mars, instead of having to transport it from Earth. Unlike our air, which is 21% oxygen, Martian air contains just 0.13% oxygen. Perseverance’s Moxie unit pulled oxygen atoms off carbon dioxide molecules, which make up 96% of the planet’s atmosphere, turning them into breathable oxygen gas.

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Malaria is one of the world’s most deadly diseases, killing more than 400,000 people every year – mostly young children. But scientists from Oxford University have made a vaccine that could save millions of lives. Malaria is caused by a microscopic parasite that is passed to people when they are bitten by an infected mosquito.

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are found in areas of Africa, Asia and South America.

Previously, children living in these areas had to try to avoid being bitten, using mosquito nets and insect repellent.

Scientists have been trying to make a vaccine for over 100 years, but none of them has worked very well. Now, trials carried out in Africa have shown the new vaccine is 77% effective. The team is working hard to get the vaccine approved so they can start saving kids’ lives as soon as possible.

PERCY’S PROGRESS

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© NASA

Previously, the rover’s mini-helicopter, Ingenuity, successfully completed several test flights – the first time a helicopter has ever been flown on another planet.

Ingenuity is now helping to spot new routes for Percy to take.

© bluefish_ds / Shutterstock.com

Saving sea turtles The climate crisis is having a worrying impact on populations of green sea turtles. As their home in the Great Barrier Reef warms up, so does the sand on which they lay their eggs. The temperature of the eggs determines whether a turtle will develop as a male or a female and, in some populations, 99% of green sea turtles are being born female. If this trend continues, scientists fear the turtles could become extinct.

To prevent this from happening, a team of scientists from WWF has been moving newly laid eggs into artificial nests in the sand that keep the eggs cooler. They hope this will help to increase the number of male turtles born.

GIRL POWER! The Afghan Girls Robotics Team are among the honourees on this year’s ‘Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia’ list. The lists celebrate the achievements of young scientists, activists, entrepreneurs and leaders around the world. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Afghanistan was in dire need of ventilators – machines to help patients with the new coronavirus to breathe. The girls put their skills to good use, making affordable ventilators from old car and motorbike parts for use in local hospitals.

In Afghanistan, less than a fifth of women over 25 went to secondary school when they were younger. The team hopes that the project will highlight the importance of education for girls.

© Digital Citizen Fund

© reptiles4all / Shutterstock.com

Toxic spit A recent study has suggested that humans might have the potential to become venomous! Scientists discovered that the genes snakes use to control the production of venom are also present in mammals, including humans. We use ours to make other proteins found in saliva (spit), but this research shows that the same set of genes dates back to the ancestor that we share with snakes and that snakes’ venom glands evolved from early salivary glands. While we’re not going to develop a poisonous bite anytime soon, it is possible that – if the right ecological conditions ever existed – humans could one day become venomous. Some mammals, like shrews, have already evolved venomous saliva.

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ROBOT TAKEOVER!

By Isabel Thomas

We know what a robot is!

It’s our science-loving, question-eating, best friend Y!

That’s just me!

There are LOADS of different kinds of robots. But we all have some things in common. We are machines that can be programmed to carry out tasks for humans.

SCI-FI BEGINNINGS

Long before anyone built a robot, they appeared in stories – in magazines, books, plays and films. People liked the idea of life-like machines that could do jobs for us. Around 80 years ago, engineers began trying to build real robots.

The word robot means ‘boring work’.

The first real robots looked like tortoises! Elmer and Elsie were built in 1948. They were not like other machines that did the same thing over and over. They were automated (worked by themselves).

They could sense light and respond by moving towards dim lights and away from bright lights.

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HOW ROBOTS WORK Robots are controlled by a computer. They must be programmed. This means giving them instructions to follow. The RoboCup Games challenges engineers to get better at programming robots. They must design robots that make decisions as a team!

Watch robots playing football here! bbc.in/30Uhu6L

TRY ‘PROGRAMMING’ A HUMAN! Robots can only follow the commands given to them by their computer program, written in a specific programming language. They don’t understand other commands. Read these commands out to two or more people at once. They should only obey if they hear ‘PROGRAM SAYS’ first. Who is the best ‘robot’?

PROGRAM SAYS Spin around PROGRAM SAYS Stop PROGRAM SAYS Bounce up and down PROGRAM SAYS Stop PROGRAM SAYS Close your eyes PROGRAM SAYS Spin around Stop PROGRAM SAYS Stop PROGRAM SAYS Open your eyes Clap your hands PROGRAM SAYS Put a hand on your head PROGRAM SAYS Stop

© Ralf Roletschek / Wikimedia Commons

CAN YOU TELL A ROBOT FROM A HUMAN?

The robots in stories are often humanoid, which means they are shaped a bit like humans!

Most real robots aren’t humanoid, but NASA has designed a robot that looks like an astronaut. Robonaut can move around and use tools.

One day it could do jobs on other planets.

Robots have parts that let them do some of the things humans can do. Draw a line from the labels (e.g. brain) to the functions they perform (in the blue boxes). One has been done for you. Check your answers on page 34. sensors / camera

brain SENSING THE ENVIRONMENT

computer processor

eyes and ears

PROCESSING INFORMATION batteries

sandwich

POWER SOURCE motor and actuator

muscles and limbs

© NASA

MOVING

A ROBOTIC WORLD Robots have been built to do many different jobs. You can spot them all around the world – and on other worlds too!

Robotic rovers help us explore the surface of Mars.

Robots help us explore the solar system! Orbiters carry cameras and other sensors to distant space objects.

Landers have robotic arms to sample soil and rock.

Find out how NASA’s new Perseverance rover is doing at mars.nasa.gov/mars2020

Robots aren’t harmed by conditions that are too hot, dark, noisy or dangerous for humans. Their sensors can detect things that our senses can’t, such as dangerous gases. This is useful for search and rescue missions. Robot firefighters have cameras that detect heat instead of light, so they can ‘see’ through thick smoke. They can carry hoses and learn to recognise hand signals from people.

Drones are aircraft without pilots.

Most drones are flown by remote control, but some are robots that can fly by themselves. The first drones were built for spying, but today they are used for all kinds of different tasks, from search and rescue to delivering medicines!

This drone follows a person around and takes selfies!

© Merlin74 / Shutterstock

There are robot farmers that can even milk cows by themselves! In fact, milking robots are used around the world. Cows choose when to be milked by going into the pen. There are also robot farmers that can plant seeds, spray weeds, prune plants, pick fruit and clean barns!

Self-driving cars are robots. Zoom to page 24 to find out how they work!

Diving robots explore deep ocean trenches and underwater caves, or inspect the parts of boats, bridges and pipes that are hidden underwater. They can go deeper than human divers and stay underwater for longer.

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Why are you holding that micro fish?

© Frederic Osada and Teddy Seguin/DRASSM

To go with my microchips!

e 24 ork!

© Nasa

ROBOT ARM ENGINEERING CHALLENGE Think like a roboticist and design your own robot arm.

You will need:

© 2021 Intuitive Surgical

The International Space Station has a robotic arm to grab things, like this cargo spacecraft delivering supplies to the space station.

The world’s first robot to be put to work was a mechanical arm that was used in a car factory in 1961.

Today, millions of robot arms and other kinds of robots are used in factories around the world.

Strips of corrugated cardboard Paper fasteners Paper drinking straws Sticky tape Paperclips Smooth string Scissors

What you do: 1. First, identify your problem.

Your robot arm will need to be able to grab hold of and lift up a small object.

2. Next, plan how to solve the problem. Most robots are combinations of different simple machines – such as levers, pulleys and gears. Use your own arm and hand for inspiration!

Think of the cardboard strips as the bones and the string as the muscles that pull on the bones.

Draw a plan of what your robot arm will look like.

Surgical robots allow surgeons to perform complex operations with more precision. A real surgeon operates the robotic arms from a console.

Watch a surgical robot peeling a grape: bit.ly/3gE5qj3

• • • • • • •

Robotic dogs can chase balls, learn tricks and follow their owners – just like real dogs! They obey when you say ‘Fetch!’, ‘Come here’ or ‘Sit down!’

People can be fitted with robotic limbs.

Swarms of tiny robots collect information about pollution or currents in huge areas of ocean. They send signals back to humans on land.

3. Now build your prototype. Use the straws to hold the strings in place and guide them where to go. Create moveable joints using bends, sticky tape or paper fasteners. You could bend the paperclips into hooks at the end of the arm, to help it pick things up.

4. The next stage is to test and improve your prototype. See if you can pick up small objects with it.

We'd love to see what you come up with! Ask an adult to tag us on social media @whizzpopbangmag and email your photos to Y@whizzpopbang.com

ROBOTIC FUTURE We are at the beginning of a new Industrial Revolution! Robots are becoming a much bigger part of our lives. By the time you are grown up, artificial intelligence and machine learning will have changed the world as much as electricity changed the world in the 1800s!

Hidden in this list of robot parts is the name of the first mobile robot that used AI. Can you find it?

Write your answer here and check it on page 34.

Tip: the number next to each item may help you!

4 sensors

7 microchips 2 cameras

Robots could take over the world!

1 keypad

IS THERE ANYTHING ROBOTS CAN’ T DO? At the heart of every robot is a computer.

But most computers (and robots) are only good at solving problems if they’ve been told exactly how to do it. Engineers are good at building robots that can move around and pick things up. It is much harder to teach a robot to ‘think’ like a human – such as working out if a piece of fruit is ripe yet, or if a plant is a weed or a crop. The new challenge for computer scientists and roboticists is how to program a computer to give it artificial intelligence (AI).

4 wheels

7 battery packs

LEARNING TOGETHER Computer scientists are working hard to develop AI. A computer with AI learns from things that happen around it, instead of just responding to them. This is called machine learning, and it will help robots behave more like humans and decide for themselves the best way to solve a problem. AI is already allowing computers to carry out a wider range of tasks. This includes things that many human brains find easy, such as recognising familiar faces in a crowd or driving a car.

Alexa, give me an example of AI. Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Robot.

Robot who?

Why are you telling knock knock jokes?

It’s a robot invasion!

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Speech recognition systems such as Siri and Alexa are modern examples of AI. Every time we ask them something, they don’t just respond – they note how well or badly they answered our question and learn from it! They are not really robots because they don’t have moving parts.

BE A ROBOTICIST! If you’d like to work in AI and machine learning, the best subject to study is maths! Computers collect information about the world in the form of numbers.

AI is about showing them how to consider lots of different possible outcomes and act accordingly – something our brains do without us even realising!

ROBOTIC SCHOOLS? Could robots take over from your teacher one day? There are already some robots designed to work in classrooms – some can play games with young children.

Others can say ‘Be quiet!’ – and even make a cross face! One day, robots might help children at school. But they could never be teachers. Our teachers are good at EVERYTHING. They know about all the subjects they teach, and the needs of every child. They notice when someone is feeling sad or doesn’t understand and respond in the right way. No robot can do all of this!

Why did the robot go back to school?

Her skills were a little rusty!

Computer scientists need YOUR HELP to train a computer to learn how to recognise doodles! Go to this website and get doodling! quickdraw.withgoogle.com

MAKE A DOODLEBOT Make a machine that doodles for you!

You will need: • Large piece of paper • Empty fizzy drink can or a plastic cup or pot • Elastic bands • Sticky tape • Three or four felt tip pens

• Small battery-powered motor (you can use one from a toy, or find them cheaply online) connected to a battery • Cork or Plasticine

What you do: 1. Turn the can or pot upside down. Stick the motor firmly on top. Don’t be too neat – you want the motor to be off centre!

2. Use the rubber band to attach three or four felt tips to the can or pot, like legs.

3. Take the pen lids off and place the DoodleBot on a piece of paper. Turn the motor on and see what it draws!

Try pushing a lump of squishy material such as cork or Plasticine onto the motor shaft, making sure the motor can still turn freely. How does this affect the doodles?

This is my best doodle!

Can your DoodleBot beat it?

Send your creations to Y@whizzpopbang.com

Try changing the shape of the container or the number of legs. Can you make the DoodleBot draw different shapes and patterns?

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Geckos

AL ANIM S TIC

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Who’s that hanging from the ceiling, looking slightly scared? It’s our vet Joe Inglis, testing out a pair of gecko-grip shoes as he investigates the climbing superpowers of these amazing lizards.

Geckos are small lizards that are found around the world in warm climates. There are about 1,500 different species, ranging in size from 1.6 cm to over 40 cm in length.

Night lights Most geckos are nocturnal (active at night).

They search out their diet of fruit, insects and flower nectar with the help of super-sensitive night vision; their colour vision in low light is 350 times as good as a humanʼs, and they can also see ultraviolet light.

A strange tail tale…

© Thichaa / Shutterstock.com

Lots of animals would love to have gecko for lunch, so geckos have evolved some cunning defence mechanisms to help keep themselves safe. One of the most amazing is their ability to shed their tails when they are grabbed by a predator, a process known as autotomy.

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30 day s The approximate time it takes for a gecko to grow a new tail!

s

Gecko-ing up © Mr.B-king / Shutterstoc k.com

Geckos can climb up almost any surface, no matter how smooth, like a lizard Spiderman!

Scientists think geckos’ sticky feet work because of the thousands of tiny nano-hairs called setae on each toe. These microscopic hairs stick to the molecules of the surface material through an electrostatic attraction called the Van der Waals forces.

Robo-geckos

And you think you’ve got sticky fingers!

Engineers have been trying to build super-sticky pads for robots that work in the same way as geckos’ feet, so they can lift smooth objects and even grab things in space. The most advanced gecko-bots are now being used in industry and tested on board the International Space Station.

Can you spot 10 differences between these two geckos?

Circle any that you find and check them on page 34.

Geckos lick their eyeballs to keep them clean.

A coat of many spines As well as having millions of hairs on their toe pads, geckos also have thousands of tiny spines all over their bodies. These spines trap air and also repel water, so raindrops just bounce off their skin as if they were coated in oil.

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FAST FORWARD Fill in the blanks to finish this futuristic story!

1 Your first name ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 2 Your friend’s first name ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3 The last grown-up you spoke to �������������������������������������������������������� 4 A type of pet ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 A body part ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6 A vegetable ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 An item from a toolkit ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 The town or village where you live! ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 9 Your favourite food ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� (written with a capital letter at the beginning) 10 A moving verb (past tense) ����������������������������������������������������������������� 11 Another moving verb (past tense) ��������������������������������������������������� 12 Yet another moving verb (past tense) ������������������������������������������� 13 A plural noun ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Which piece could complete the circuit board? Write your answer here and check it on page 34.

a

b

c

d

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Without peeking at the story, fill in the word list, then write the words from your list on the left into the numbered spaces in the story.

We bet you can’t help chuckling when you read it out!

(1)

………………………………...............

and Y’s time travel tales!

“Are you sure it’s ok to borrow Gakk’s spaceship, Y?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s fine, Gakk’s on holiday in (8) ……………………………….................. . I’ve been dying to have another go with this time machine. Let’s go to 2035!”

Y pressed the button and we (10) ……………………………….................. through time and arrived in a street lined with houses.

“Look, all the cars are electric and they’re driving themselves. There’s a drone making deliveries of (13) ……………………………….................. . You’ll fit right in, Y!” As we (11) ……………………………….................. along the street, a child on a hoverboard stopped and said: “Hi, I’m (2) ……………………………….................. . Where did you get that funny old robot? It looks like a classic.” Y answered: “My name is Y and actually I’m not at all funny! This is (1) ……………………………….................. .”

“Hello. Why don’t you come in for some ice cream?” said (2) ……………………………….................. .

As we went inside, a furry robot (4) ……………………………….................. ran to greet us, wagging its tail. It had an enormous fluffy (5) ……………………………….................. .

“This is my pet robot (9)……………………………….................. and here’s my homework robot, (3) ………………………………..................

. It also helps around the house and looks after me when

I’m sick.”(3) ……………………………….................. put a little pod into a machine. A minute later, ice cream came out and the pod dropped into a recycling bin. It was a delicious (6) ………………………………..................

flavour. “Wow that’s awesome. And is that a robot

cleaning your windows? It looks like you’re going to need some updates, Y.” “I can take a look at that old robot for you,” said (3) ………………………………..................

“I will get my (7) ……………………………….................. .”

“Argh, no thanks, I think it’s time to go,” said Y. We (12)……………………………….................. back to the spaceship and waved goodbye. “See you soon,” I shouted.

“I think I’ll give up time travel,” said Y. “There’s no future in it!” whizzpopbang.com 15

b... clu O C E

Emmi's

MAKE A ROBOT CODING GAME You will need:

Use stones or slices of wood to make an outdoor coding game!

• At least 22 stones or wood slic es* (or a mix ture) • Permanent marker pens, pai nt or paint markers • Chalk * Wood slices are available at craft shops and websites, or ask an adult to help you saw a branch into pieces and sand each one with sandpaper.

2

1

Paint or draw one arrow on six of the stones or wood slices. These are some of your coding blocks.

Make three m ore coding blocks by writi ng ‘Pick up’ o n three more st ones or wood slices with pe ns or paint.

4

3 Paint or draw a robot’s head on one stone or slice, a robot’s body on another and the bottom of their body on another (legs, wheels, jets, a caterpillar track… it’s up to you!). You could even make these pieces double-sided if you like.

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stones or Write ‘Start’ on two on another slices, ‘Return to start’ another. and ‘Build robot’ on dry. to g Leave everythin

Continued on page 21 ➜

PULLOUT ROBOTS

PULL OUT PAGES 17-20 AND GET MAKING!

BENDY-ARMED Y! Whizz Pop Bang robot Y has bendy, extendable arms that are useful for all sorts of fun. Make your own Y with arms that you can control.

You will need: • The templates • Scissors • Glue stick

• Hot glue gun or sticky tape • Wooden skewers

What you do: 1. Cut out the templates.

2. Fold the arm template in half along the central dotted line and unfold, then fold the two sides into the centre and unfold.

3. Fold in half, then cut along each solid line from the fold to the dotted line. Unfold.

4. Add glue, fold the template into a triangle shape and stick together.

5. Attach the skewers to the ends of the arms with a hot glue gun or sticky tape.

6. Attach Y’s hands with glue or sticky tape.

7. To make Y’s ‘springy’ flames, place the blunt end of the yellow strip on top of the orange strip at right angles, as shown.

Stick down only the grey section.

8. Fold the orange strip of paper over the top of the yellow one, then repeat with the yellow paper. Keep folding until you run out of paper and stick the ends together with glue.

9. Stick the front and back of the Y templates together at the top (the head and neck).

10. Place the arms between the front and back of Y and stick down the circle at the bottom of the body.

You should find: You’ve made a model of Y with articulated (moveable) robot arms. You can use the skewers to control them!

Real robot arms are very useful. They are used in industry, medicine, and even in space (meet an engineer who helped build a robot arm for the International

11. F old up the unglued section of the flames, sandwich this between the bottom section of Y and glue into place.

Space Station on page 22). A robot arm consists of ‘links’ (the solid parts) which are moved by joints powered by motors. Robot arms have an ‘end effector’, also called a robot hand!

whizzpopbang.com 17

Picoh is a little, programmable social robot. Connected to a computer, Picoh can speak, look around and interact with you. Its LED matrix eyes can blink and change shape. It can smile and frown and has lights and sound in its shoulders.

Whatever Picoh does is all up to your programming skill!

To be in with a chance of winning one of three Picohs, from ohbot.co.uk, we want you to write a short program for Picoh.

Code Picoh to tell a joke or say what you love about science!

You could also code some actions if you like. To create your program, use a web browser (not Safari) to go to scratch.ohbot.co.uk. On the far left of the screen, click on the Ohbot code section (at the bottom) and then drag and drop any commands you want to use. Don’t forget to put an event command at the beginning, e.g. ‘When space key pressed’. For some helpful tips, go to whizzpopbang.com/blog/win-a-robot Save your code (click on File/Save to your computer) and send it to win@whizzpopbang.com with ‘Picoh competition’ as the subject of your email. Closing date: July 8th 2021.

For a chance to win an Ohbot robot for your school, head to our blog! whizzpopbang.com/blog/win-ohbot

Send instructions to Y by pressing 4 consecutive numbers on the keypad. (Consecutive numbers follow one another, like 1, 2, 3, 4.) Circle the numbers and then check your answer on page 34.

Riddles

Check your answers on page 34.

e there is only 3. You are in Y’s world, wher t no switches, one law. There are buttons bu and spanners hammers 2. What has four legs but only one foot? there are toolkits with e is steel and copper but no screwdrivers, ther e law? but no iron or tin. What is th whizzpopbang.com

1. What does every birthday end with?

18

Find a printable version of the pullout here: bit.ly/3vm2Rq9

6

5

Place the ‘Start’ stone or slice and the robot body parts around an outdoor space, like a park or a garden. Everything left over is a coding block.

Try out your code or challenge a friend to test it out.

If it doesn’t work, debug it (make some changes) and try again!

chalk Wipe the with f of numbers loth c a damp ant to w u when yo ain! play ag

Don't forget to pick up your blocks and take them home.

ECO

More

ideas...

natural materials Making games from mething new is instead of buying so resources. Can a great way to save r games you can you think of any othe make using stones? : paint five Here’s another idea five with stones with nuts and ard using bolts, then draw a bo t version bo chalk and play a ro ses! of noughts and cros

Continued from page 16

How to play: Use the coding blocks to program a route around the robot body parts.

Use arrows to show the direction of travel, and write a number in chalk on a blank block to show how many steps should be taken. When a body part is reached, use the code ‘Pick up’.

When all three have been read, use the codes ‘Return to start’ and ‘Build robot’.

I’d love to see your robot coding games! Ask an an adult to tag us on social media @whizzpopbangmag and email your photos to Y@whizzpopbang.com It’s up to us to save the planet. Lots of small actions can make a BIG difference!

mputer Did you know that co anet? pl r science can help ou alyse Scientists use it to an ate data related to clim n (for tio change and pollu lations example, where popu als live). of endangered anim me up This can help us to co to w ho r with solutions fo . ns tio improve these situa

whizzpopbang.com 21

➜

Interview with a SCIENCE HERO

In my job I get to... develop space robots Vinita is an expert in human spaceflight and robotic operations. She works as a Project Manager at Mission Control Space Services in Canada. If you have any questions of your own for her, you can contact her on vinita@rocket-women.com

Vinita Marw British Space O aha Madill perations Enginee

“

“

We’re developing an AI-powered autonomous micro-rover!

r

I’ve been inquisitive about space since I was six.

”

My mum read me a library book about Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut who flew to the Mir space station. When I saw a picture of her, I knew that I wanted to be an astronaut. She showed me at a young age that my dreams were possible. Later, I realised that space exploration involves hundreds of people, from those working in Mission Control in Texas, US, to those training astronauts to carry out experiments on the International Space Station (ISS).

“

”

, called Mission I’m leading this exciting project a space company Control Intelligence, along with s to classify in India. We’re using AI algorithm Moon so that the terrain of the surface of the r. This will help we can make lunar rovers smarte ter and more lunar mission scientists make fas go and what to ere confident decisions about wh be used for to study. These technologies will s this decade. future lunar exploration mission

I helped develop a new robotic arm which will be launched to the ISS soon.

”

help astronauts The European Robotic Arm will alks and install and cosmonauts carry out spacew key to space new parts of the ISS. Robotics are monauts cos g exploration, as well as assistin t icul tasks. We and astronauts to complete diff Control in the built a smaller version of Mission how to use the Netherlands and trained people edi arm, which was incr ble.

22 whizzpopbang.com

Vinita inspecting parts of

a lunar rover.

Interview with a SCIENCE HERO

“

On a normal day, I speak to people all over the world!

”

I have virtual meetings with people in India about the lunar rover project, and with people closer to home about space exploration and robotics projects. Later on, I might be involved with a meeting about developing a display that will allow a rover to be controlled on the surface of the Moon and to receive exciting scientific data. I usually finish work around 4pm to pick up my son from nursery. In the evening, I work on Rocket Women, an inspiring platform that shares interviews with women who work in STEM across the planet.

Vinita uses a Moo n viewin close look at the g screen to have a lunar surface.

“

The SkinSuit was developed to help stop astronauts from growing too much in space.

”

Astronauts typically lose 2-3% bone mass and grow 4-6 cm during a 6-mont h mission on the ISS. This is bad for spinal hea lth and can be quite painful. We created the SkinSu it, which provides loading from your shoulders to your feet through the downward fibres (material) of the suit, essentially recreating the effe ct of gravity on the astronauts’ skeletons. Seeing it being used on the ISS by astronauts is the ultima te reward.

s as part The specialist equipment that Vinita use ined. of her work needs to be carefully mainta

“

ieve Stay focussed and bel ing is in yourself and anyth possible!

”

even the space industry or If you want to work in ing th u have to study some to be an astronaut, yo cause passionate about be e ar d an e lov u yo at th your and be excited about you have to wake up at joy en what you really work. Pay attention to vin hie g at those subjects. Ac school and work hard to work in the space your goal, whether it’s and else, takes hard work industry or something it. rth solutely wo dedication but it’s ab All pics © This is Engineering

the Keeping in touch with her colleagues across world is a crucial part of Vinita’s work.

Vinita is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s This is Engineering campaign.

Find out on more about xxxxxx jobs For more ideas exciting engineering see thisisengineering.org.uk

whizzpopbang.com 23

Driverless Cars

HOW STUFF

WORKS 6

7

8

By the time you grow up, robots are more likely to be driving your car than you are. This technology could reduce the number of people injured in car crashes and lessen the environmental impact of transport – plus you’d be able to watch a movie instead of driving! Here’s how these cars of the future work…

A GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna uses signals from three or more satellites to help the car work out where in the world it is. Current systems are only accurate to within a few metres, but future systems should be much more accurate.

An Inertial navigation system helps the car to pinpoint its location more accurately, using accelerometers and gyroscopes to track its speed and direction of travel.

Dedicated short-range communication systems allow cars to exchange information with each other and drive very close together in convoys.

9

A powerful computer processes the information from the sensors using programs perfected using ‘machine learning’. This is where a computer program ‘learns’ from thousands of hours of practice so that it can make better decisions.

10

The microprocessors at the heart of the onboard computer are advanced ‘neural network accelerator’ chips that can process data quickly enough to react to what is happening on the road.

11 24 whizzpopbang.com

Road maps are stored in the

computer’s memory and used to help plan routes and correct any errors in the GPS and inertial positioning data.

12

As directed by the computer, mechanical actuators control the steering, acceleration and braking of the car.

1

A range of super-smart sensors allow the car to ‘see’ the world around it.

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors use laser beams to work out how far away objects are from the car by measuring the time it takes for the light to be reflected back to the sensor.

Although fully autonomous robot cars are still a few years away, much of the technology is already in use in cars on the road today.

• Driver assist systems help steer cars on motorways.

• Intelligent cruise control systems monitor and control speed.

• Ultrasonic sensors and mechanical actuators allow cars to park themselves.

2

Optical cameras also use light to help the car find its way around. The data from these cameras allow the car to read road signs and spot pedestrians.

3

RADAR (Radio Detection and

Ranging) sensors use radio waves to measure the distance to objects, such as other cars on the road.

The most advanced robot cars can already drive themselves, but they still need a human driver to be ready to take over in case things don’t go to plan.

5

4 Ultrasonic sensors use a beam of very high-frequency sound waves to measure short distances and are mainly used to help the car avoid obstacles when parking.

These sensors are already found on many modern cars.

To help detect people and road markings in the dark, infrared sensors pick up light that other sensors can’t see.

whizzpopbang.com 25

g... in z a m A ly e m o s e w A 0 1 , we’re going Fasten your seatbelts any robots on a robot safari! M m nature – borrow neat tricks fro y y. it’s called biomimicr

1

A T O B O R

This robotic seagull can fly just like the real thing! It can take off and land using just its wings, and it controls its flight path by twisting its body, wings and tail.

Watch SmartBird fly: bit.ly/3w3Zkhv

3

2

It might look like a miniature Star Wars walker, but Salto is a jumping robot inspired by bush babies. Bush babies can store energy in their stretchy tendons, enabling them to jump higher than their muscles alone would allow.

Robot snakes have been used to look for earthquake survivors trapped in collapsed buildings. Like real snakes, they can squeeze into tight spaces and even climb trees.

4 5

Spot is a robotic dog that can be operated remotely from anywhere in the world. It can navigate challenging terrain, avoid obstacles and even climb up and down stairs.

This Bionic Handling Assistant is a flexible gripper arm modelled on an elephant’s trunk. Air chambers within the ‘trunk’ allow it to flex and extend.

S L A M T A NI

6

These tiny flying RoboBees use artificial muscles that contract when a voltage is applied. They even have sensors that mimic the eyes and antennae of a bee, so they can respond to their environment.

Robotic insects could be used to s. pollinate crop

8 9

7

This Solar-powered SlothBot moves slowly through trees, collecting data to help conservationists monitor endangered species. Robotics engineers were inspired by real sloths and their super-slow, low-energy lifestyle.

: Watch it in action here bit.ly/3dZpESU

The gymnast of the robot world, MIT’s mini cheetah robot can execute a perfect 360˚ backflip!

SoFi is controlled by a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller!

10

SoFi is a soft robotic fish that can swim around coral reefs, taking close-up videos of the real fish without disturbing them as a human diver would.

Watch SoFi swim! bit.ly /2 S bN kL i

These bionic ants are not only autonomous, but they can work together as a team, moving objects that would be too heavy to lift alone. Their designers were inspired by the cooperative behaviour of real ants.

© 1. Festo SE & Co. KG, all rights reserved, 2. Stephen McNally, inset image EcoPrint / Shutterstock.com, 3. Biorobotics Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, 4. Boston Dynamics, 5. The American Museum of Natural History / Wikimedia Commons, 6. Wyss Institute at Harvard University, 7. Rob Felt, Georgia Tech, 8. Bryce Vickmark, 9. Joseph DelPreto/MIT CSAIL, 10. Festo AG & Co. KG

whizzpopbang.com 27

Sensational Scientists

ALAN TURING

By Claire Cock-Starkey

ALAN TURING WAS BORN IN 1912 IN LONDON, ENGLAND.

Mathematician Alan Turing is celebrated for his incredible contribution to the development of computer science.

As a child, Alan was fascinated by m aths and science, bu t the school he was at did not encourag e his studies, so he researched mod ern mathematical id eas on his own.

KE Y

ed to solve iant mind. He lik Alan had a brill athematics. ing advanced m us s m le ob pr al tigious practic d he won a pres an ed tic no e er His skills w rsity. ambridge Unive scholarship to C study at ted, Alan went to After he gradua ica. There iversity in Amer un p to a n, to Prince niversal the idea of a ‘u he came up with mplicated ne’ for solving co hi ac m g tin pu com as a Turing became known calculations. It use Alan markable beca re is d an ne hi mac ter could w a digital compu was describing ho to actually chnology existed te e th re fo be k wor build one.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

L

K

J M P

O

N

R

Q

T

S V X

During World War II, Alan got a job at Bletchley Park where secret work was being done to try to crack Nazi codes. The Germans used an Enigma machine to encode all their messages about which locations they were going to attack.

Alan developed a new machine called a Bombe which tried out lots of different solutions to a code until it identified the correct one. By cracking the German code, the Allies were warned where the next attack would occur, saving many lives.

Can you crack the code on the right?

Look at the clues Alan is holding to work out what letter each symbol represents. The first letter has been done for you. Check your answer on page 34.

U W Z

Y

In 1950, Alan created what he called the imitation game. This tested whether a computer could be intelligent enough to convince a human that it was a fellow human being. The game, which later became known as The Turing Test, involved a human interrogator typing out questions to which a computer and another human would type replies. If the interrogator could not tell which responder was the computer, then the computer would have passed the test.

After the war, Alan wa s awarded an OBE by the government for his wo rk breaking German co des. But most of his achievem ents were kept secret to pr event enemy states from us ing the technology.

The Turing Test is extremely important in computer science, creating the standard for artificial intelligence (AI). The first chat-bot was thought to have passed the Turing Test in 2014, but some experts doubted the result. Since then, a number of other AI programs have claimed to have passed.

In 1950s Brita in, homosexu ality was illegal and th is made life ve ry difficult for Alan beca use he was g ay. He was arrested in 1952 for b e ing in a relationship with a man, making him a crimin al just becau se of whom he loved. Sa dly, Alan die d in 1954, but in 2009 the British g o ve rnment publically ap ologised for the prejudice he suffered a nd in 2013 th e Queen officially pard oned him.

CODED MESSAG E S

Today, Alan Turing is celebrated for his genius. His code-breaking skills not only helped to save countless lives during World War II, but he also made a huge impact in computer science. To honour his contribution, a new national centre for research in data science and AI was named after him and his portrait will appear on a new £50 note which will enter circulation this month.

whizzpopbang.com 29

Email me at Y@whizzpopbang.com

der Club!

Welcome to Y’s Won to share your This page is for you with our adventures in science hizz Pop Bang robot, Y, and other W atured on readers! Everyone fe an this page will receive e! enamel pin badg

H I! How did

Louis Braille invent ‘Braille’ when he was blind himself ?

From Oliver, aged 7

F oR

CURIoUS K I DS

We loved all the brilliant terrarium biosphere photos you sent us! Here are a few of them…

Phoenix, aged 7

Louis Braille learned to read usi ng raised letters. The letters had to be large enough to feel, so the books had to be big and have few words. A sch ool visitor explained how ‘night writing’ could be used for sharing messages in the dark.

The code was read by feeling pat terns of raised dots, but it was hard to remember.

By the age of 15, Louis had inv ented a simple code where each letter fitted into a fingertip-sized space. His pat terns of two columns of three raised dot s gave him 63 different ‘letters’, so he made a code for words, maths and mu sic!

Bella, aged 6

We put in different plants we found growing on an old wall as well as moss. I love it!

Nicholas, aged 7, was so inspired by Issue 67 (Mission to Mars) that he decided to make a papier-mâché astronaut’s helmet for his mission to Mars! We think it’s awesome!

Madeline, aged 10, has just started to get Whizz Pop Bang

Welcome to the Wonder Club, Madeline!

Layton, aged 7

Y’s Wonder Club Badges Collectable enamel badges for you to earn!

Help local wildlife to earn your Wildlife Watcher badge.

Investigate scientific questions to earn your Super Scientist badge.

Help save the planet to earn your Eco Hero badge.

E

I noticed that it lands slower with the balloon.

Here is a photo of me launching my Mars lander.

I really enjoyed this experiment!

AS K Y, Why do cats’ pupils

look thin and vertical so and round and big othe metimes r times?

From Sondoss, aged 11

Great observation, Sondoss! A cat’s pupils can become 135 times bigger! Wide pupils let in lots of light in dark conditions, but small pupils prevent eye damage in bright sunlight. It means cats have excellent vision – night or day.

Vertical-slit pupils are mainly found in pouncing predators. A narrow slit creates a sharp image and helps cats judge distances. But strangely, the blurry image from a wide pupil is also useful for distance calculations. Cats’ pupils are vertically wide but horizontally narrow; giving two ways of making sure their hunting pounce is accurate.

Arnav, aged 8, enjoyed making the Mars lander with a starry balloon.

Charlie, aged 8

Elsie, aged 5, made cold water boil! (Issue 67)

oks Read any good science bo recently? Done any cool experiments? Write to Y@whizzpopbang.com to tell us all about them!

, When far D E A Ror Y islands are

mountains ish? they look blue o d y h w , y a w a to know!

I’d really like ged 9 From Edie, a

S TA R R L ET T E

ve You’ a n wo er! bind

Sunlight is made from all the colours of the rainbow. On the way to our eyes, it passes through a soup of gas molecules called air. Hitting a gas molecule makes the violet-blue part of sunlight scatter (change direction). The more air you look through, the more violet-blue light has been scattered and the bluer it looks – whether that’s upwards into the blue sky or across to a blueish island! Near the ground, tiny particles like dust and pollen help to scatter more sunlight. This creates a white haze which makes mountains and islands look paler blue when they are further away.

Get problem solving to earn your Epic Engineer badge.

7, Willow, aged e th g in o d enjoyed s’ n o ti ac re y ‘rust m o fr experiment .

67 Issue

Charlotte, aged 7, did the ‘looking for life’ experiment from Issue 67.

My hypothesis was that only the fizzy tablet would make bubbles so I was interested when the yeast went frothy!

Send your experiments, ideas, photos, reviews and questions to Y@whizzpopbang.com or Y, Whizz Pop Bang, Unit 7, Global Business Park, 14 Wilkinson Road, Cirencester, GL7 1YZ. Don’t forget to include your name, age and address. We can’t return any post, sorry.

To find out how to earn your badges, go to whizzpopbang.com/wonder-club. Schools can get involved too! Find out how here: bit.ly/39xNQqV More badges will be launched soon... watch this space!

whizzpopbang.com 31

um/ Test your M to Dad/friend

see what they know!

1

How much can you remember from this issue?

Test your knowledge with our super-duper quiz. Just tick the answers you think are correct, mark them using the answers on page 34 and then add up your score. If you need some help, check out the hints at the bottom of the page.

What does LIDAR stand for?

2

a) Local Invasion of Dangerous Animal Robots

What did the Afghan Girls Robotics Team use to make ventilators for hospitals? a) Old vacuum cleaners

b) Old scuba diving equipment

b) Light Detection And Ranging

c) Old car and motorbike parts

c) Look, I Don’t Appreciate Robots!

3

4

note On which bank g will Alan Turin r? soon appea

What were the firs t real robots called? a) Edwin and Effie b) Elmer and Elsie

50 a) £

c) Egbert and Elsa

b) £100 c) £5

5

Who inspired Vinita Marwaha Madill to learn about space?

6

What animal is Salto the robot inspired by? a) Seagull

a) Helen Sharman

b) Elephant

b) L ouis Armstrong

ush baby c) B

c) Tim Peake

7

r do?

bite What does an or

ms to a) Use robotic ar rock sample soil and and b) Carry cameras distant other sensors to space objects xplore deep c) E ocean trenches

Why are robots never afraid?

They have nerves of steel!

8

When a gecko practises ‘au totomy’, what does it do? a) Climbs up

almost any surface

b) L icks its ow c) S heds its o

n eyeballs

wn tail

Need a hint? Find the answers by reading these pages…

1) Page 25 2) Page 5 3) Page 29 4) Page 6 5) Page 22 6) Page 26 7) Page 8 8) Page 12

Answers on page 34.

I scored: ..........

1-3: Awesome automaton!

4-6: Super cyborg!

7-8: Rocking robot!

p G

W !

IN

Invent-a-bot!

We want you to think of something you’d like a robot to do and then design your own. Draw a picture of your robot or make a model with things from the recycling box.

Tell us what your robot does and what it’s made of that makes it suited to its job.

You’ll need to think about where your robot will be working; for example, is it hot, cold or wet?

Send us a photo of your design to be in with a chance of winning one of two awesome robotics kits.

ROBOTICS KIT With this cool kit from thamesandkosmos.co.uk, you can build eight different robots controlled by programs and an ultrasound sensor (like sonar).

Code the programs using an easy app on a tablet or smartphone. You could build a humanoid robot that walks and avoids obstacles, an awesome stag beetle robot with pincers, a crocodile, a dual-rotor drone model, a robo-dog and a robo-dino. Using an extra smartphone and tablet, you can hack together a spy-bot that roams around and streams video back to you. You can even build and program your own robots.

Children under 8 will need help from an adult.

Send a photo of your design to win@whizzpopbang.com with ‘Robot competition’ as the subject of your email. Alternatively, post your picture to Robot competition, Whizz Pop Bang, Unit 7, Global Business Park, 14 Wilkinson Road, Cirencester, GL7 1YZ.

Please don’t forget to include your name, age and address.

Deadline: July 8th 2021. UK residents only. Full terms and conditions available at whizzpopbang.com. We are not able to return any post, sorry.

WINNERS

Issue 69 competition winners We were blown away by the pictures you sent in of your magnificent mosaics. It was so hard to choose our favourites!

These four lucky winners will each receive an Architectural Engineering kit from thamesandkosmos.co.uk

Ben Rehaag,

Josh Ward, aged

6

aged 7

n, aged 8

Alba Dickinso

Safa Jehangir, aged 7

whizzpopbang.com 33

How do you make a robot angry?

Push its buttons!

JOKES What is a rob favourite inst ot’s rument?

The keyboard !

Why did the robot cross the road?

Because the chicken programmed it to!

What music do robots like?

Heavy metal!

Knock k nock.

Who’s t here?

Ann. Ann wh o?

Ann-dr oid!

Page 6 – True/Untrue

Page 10 – Robot parts puzzle

TRUE: Robot comes from the Czech word robota meaning ‘drudgery’!

The idea of a robot is that it takes over jobs that are difficult, dangerous, or dull for humans.

Look at the numbers and then count along the letters by that number to find the answer. The robot, developed in 1972, was called SHAKEY because of its jerky movements.

Page 7 – Robot and human functions

Page 10 – True/Untrue

sensors / camera

brain SENSING THE ENVIRONMENT

computer processor

eyes and ears

PROCESSING INFORMATION sandwich

batteries

Answers Page 14 – Riddles Circuit board puzzle Check your answers on page 34.

Piece d completes the circuit board.

1. What does every birthday end with?

UNTRUE: There are many, many things that humans are much better than robots at doing – and even if, many centuries in the future, it became possible to make robots capable of taking over the world, humans would understand the risks and could just choose not to build them!

Page 18in –Y’sRiddles 2. You are world, where there is only

one law. There are buttons but no switches,

are toolkits withY. hammers spanners3) Everything in 1)there The letter 2) Aandbed. but no screwdrivers, there is steel and copper the world letters. but no iron orcontains tin. What is thedouble law?

foot? legs but only one has four 3. What18 Page – Keypad puzzle instructions to Y by pressing 4 consecutive The Send four consecutive numbers are numbers on the keypad. (Consecutive numbers follow one another, like 1, 2, 3, 4.) Circle the 18, 19, 20, 21. numbers and then check your answer on page 34.

Page 13 – True/Untrue

POWER SOURCE motor and actuator

bot Why did the ro go on holiday? r To recharge he batteries!

muscles and limbs

MOVING

Page 9 – True/Untrue TRUE: People who have a missing or damaged arm or leg can be fitted with a robotic limb. These ‘bionic’ arms are controlled by nerve signals from the person’s brain.

TRUE: Nearly all species of gecko don’t have eyelids, so they use their long tongues to lick their eyes and keep them clean!

Page 13 – Spot the difference puzzle Page 28 – Code puzzle

Competition image and text to come

The sentence says SIX SHIPS SIGHTED IN NORTH ATLANTIC. Os net dolutem que lation eaque sit, qui de nobis am resendelit fugit acculla ipitia nonseque nobit ma conseque es sum es es pratate sequam as con porat ut voloreius, eiciis molorep tatio. Simusda ntiuntur simet ventem excepe as sum etus.

Page 32 – Quiz

Add joke in here?

Con ratur. Ferror magnia 18 whizzpopbang.com

1) b 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) a 6) c 7) b 8) c

Experestio quaerest prem qui dolupiento maximus maionserem res?

Pereriam quis asperum iundem volore porere que cus soluptatus ma di voluptate nullabor acia sae nate offic tempern atiate natio maximi, nonecti

Atlas, the acrobatic robot

This is Atlas, one of the most agile humanoid robots on the planet. It can balance on one leg, run, jump, somersault and even dance! It was developed by Boston Dynamics, which creates robots that walk on legs so that they can navigate all of the obstacles of the human world.

Atlas’s amazing abilities come from an advanced control system combined with a hydraulic power unit, motors, valves and 28 hydraulic joints.

R A L U C A T C E SP

e c n e i c s

Watch some videos of Atlas in action here: bostondynamics.com/atlas © Boston Dynamics, background image: vs148 / Shutterstock.com

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