How Robotics Got Started: A Brief History

With vast technological advancements over the last few decades, why don't we have robots running everything by now? Join Hank Green for a brief history of the field of robotics—it might help you understand how hard it is to get machines to perform tasks, and how far we’ve actually come!

Hosted by: Hank Green
Human played by: Stefan Chin
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[jessicatillman]

I’m studying for an acting role as a coding/robotics teacher and this video was so helpful. And hilarious!! Thanks you so much! I love all your videos!

[TheShade]

Why on earth would they need us for tungsten mines? They could build lesser robots to do it soooo much more efficiently  

[Naiadryade]

SciShow Infusion episodes are always so fascinating. I really enjoy when y'all make longer videos and go in depth into topics like this. Shorter videos like QQ are OK too, but I prefer these ones! I know they must be a lot of work, but I would really love to see longer videos like this more often, please. Thanks for all the great work you do!

[Player_Review]

I wish Hank did every single SciShow. Yeah, I know he's the producer, but he's also by far the best presenter.

[RealLuckless]

I don't really get why people think that AI will enslave humanity and put us to work in mines...

Humans are frail, inefficient, and whiny creatures. There is no way any kind of AI would consider using us to do any kind of manual labour task, because it would be far easier to just build more robots to do the job themselves, and do it far better than we ever could.

[Zerepzerreitug]

it would be interesting to learn too about Bots, robots without bodies who live in the ethereal digital space and who already control our lives to surprising degrees, like for instance, in the stock market.

[UnknownXV]

Like the dress video, this reinforced how truly awe-inspiring the human brain is. We do such complex tasks, things we can barely program super computers to do, and we do them effortlessly. All from our relatively tiny brains. 

That you can look across your room and instantly identify everything in it... it's incredible. 

[ranger]

1: Give Baxter stronger arms
2: Give Baxter machine gun
3: ???
4: Profit

[Ryukachoo]

i can sum this video up in a few statements;
vision is HARD
bipedal locomotion is HARD
context is HARD

[gluffoful]

Another great video - just one minor note on the industrial history: the IRB was developed by Swedish ASEA before the company merged with Swiss Brown Boveri to form the multinational Asea Brown Boveri or ABB corporation in 1988.

[kujmous]

Using virtual reality, speech recognition, and some AI, I want to make a virtual therapist office where a person could talk to an algorithm and get feedback to help with healthy life strategies. This would be well suited for depression, anxiety, and trauma cases.

I loved the CGP Grey cameo. He should do these more often.

[SirKittalot]

Why would machines use humans to mine tungsten? They're weak, slow, inefficient, whiny, extremely high-maintenance with needs such as food, sleep, entertainment, clothes, shelter, ect, and we're prone to violence and rebellion. Machines, when they take control, will make more machines to do the work such as mining tungsten (machines are strong, fast, efficient, uncomplaining, low-maintenance and, provided the work robots are not sentient, unlikely to rebel), and either keep humans sort of as 'pets' (like in the Culture - the machines would probably find humans interesting and amusing) or exterminate them.

[cortster]

Could you talk about why human-like emotions, wills, and drive could never happen by itself? Also, could you explain why we would have to program each feeling, and that robots learning emotion without it being programmed, like in the movies, can't happen (Skynet having 'fear' is an example)?

[SidCurry]

Hank, I can't even begin to thank you for the motivation you've given me over the years in terms of pursuing science! In fact, I started making my own science videos (I uploaded my first videos this week!) so that I can hopefully help more people aspire to look at the world from a scientific perspective. And if any people here want to see more science videos, please feel free to take a look at my channel! I'm making these videos in my spare time, and as a grad student who's trying to put himself through school while supporting his parents, your support and viewership would be much appreciated! Thanks guys :D

[grndragon]

I think the robot refurred to as "big dog" is really awesome stuff. If I can remember it can run some like 40 mph and carry up 150 lbs, not at the same time.

[Bounasieaux]

Nope that's not CGP Grey, he is one of the guys like Michael Aranda(?) who sometimes appears in SciShow

[Elfos]

I was kind of hoping he'd mention a couple other specific robots, like that four-legged one that can re-adjust itself whenever jostled or over uneven terrain, or the EveR-3, a Korean robot that is human is appearance and can fluently speak/sing in both Korean and English. 

[NichoTBE]

20 years after the film Short Circuit was released the US military actually made one that looks pretty similar.

[jucevale]

There's also an other competition called First Robotics competition and it's where a bunch of students that have 6 weeks to create a robot that has to do a demanded task like sports.And it's very amazing to see what kids can do these days.