Robots for kids [Book Review]

processing capability that has followed Moore's Law. Consequently, more and more robots are finding their way into homes and—perhaps more important—classrooms. Alison Druin and James Hendler's book features reports from this revolution's front lines. Robots for Kids comprises three main sections: 1. four examples of robot technologies designed for kids (Chapters 1–4), 2. five descriptions of how educators use robots in various settings (Chapters 5–9), and 3. a final narrative that attempts to predict the future (Chapter 10). Each chapter ends with Kid's View, an essay by a child involved in some aspect of robotics. Chapter 1 describes Fred Martin's work at the MIT Media Lab with Lego Mindstorms, a commercial product that combines Lego building pieces with a microcomputer. As an educator familiar with Mindstorms and Martin's research, I enjoyed reading about the evolution of the programmable brick and the cricket. The cricket is a programmable microcomputer but is smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the earlier versions that went by the name of brick or thinking tag. Martin and his colleagues provide helpful insight into their methodology and way of thinking. This includes details on the cricket bus system, communication between components , and sensor options that could be used to build interesting projects. In Kid's View, Sharone (age 12) presents a very sophisticated Dragon Helper; she will be an exceptional engineer if she chooses this career path. Chapter 2 details the development of Sony's Aibo ERS-110, probably the most advanced robotic system available to the general public. Robot designers will appreciate the level of detail of both the hardware and software implemented on this product. The system design is complete with both a functional architecture and a layered software architecture. As the photographs of the robot dog's facial expressions illustrate, its motions, reactions, and simulated emotions captivate children's attention; Sony has achieved its goal of making Aibo entertaining. Thomas (age 10) in Kid's View says it best when he infers that making a robot is not easy, except for having fun. The Personal Electronic Teller of Stories (Chapter 3) is another excellent idea for helping educate kids. It provides stuffed animal parts to construct a robotic animal and an accompanying software component that lets children tell a story about their robotic creations. This product is interactive on a computer and opens a door of creativity by giving children the opportunity to create a special pet and embellish …