RISE OF THE

ROBO
In the
News
LEXILE
800L-900L

Machines are starting to look

and act more like humans.
Is that a good thing? BY TOD OLSON

4 May 2019 | Scholastic Action

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W e rarely see robots, except in movies. But

in reality, these machines have a tremendous
impact on your life. They build your school buses
and help pack the clothes you buy online. They
might even milk the cow that contributes to
your breakfast.
Now, scientists are working on a new
generation of robots. These robots will do more
than just work in factories or warehouses. They’ll
serve you drinks and greet you in a store. They
may even teach your classes in school or examine
you when you’re sick. And they will look, move,
and even think like you—sort of.

PAUSE AND THINK: How do robots

affect your everyday life?

Factory Workers
The majority of robots working today aren’t
the walking, talking robots you see in science
fiction movies. Instead, they’re just machines
that perform tasks without human help. Usually
they are controlled by a computer and are
used to efficiently carry out simple jobs. They
perform repetitive tasks, working behind
the scenes. Æ

VOCABULARY
impact: a powerful effect
contributes: supplies something
efficiently: doing something well without
wasting materials, time, or energy
ROBOT OR HUMAN? developing: creating something over
An expert works on
MATT CARDY/GETTY IMAGES

a period of time
Fred, a very lifelike
robot. Some scientists engineers: people who design and
think people are more build complicated products, machines,
likely to trust robots and structures
that look like humans.

www.scholastic.com/action | May 2019 5

 The first robot ever to work in a factory fit that
ROBOTS IN
REAL LIFE
description. It was a 2,700-pound metal arm called
Unimate that helped build cars at General Motors
in the 1960s. The giant arm picked up hot metal
parts and joined them together. Here are three
Since then, robots have replaced humans in
ways you might
millions of jobs. Farming robots pull up weeds
around lettuce plants. Flippy, a robotic arm,
come in contact
cooks fast-food burgers. And SAM100, a truck- with robots one
like robot, helps build walls by laying almost day soon.
400 bricks an hour.

PAUSE AND THINK: What are robots?

How are they most often used?
humanlike robots that almost look real. The
company’s engineers use tiny motors to control
Walking, Talking Robots smiles and winks. They create plastic skin that has
Robots like Unimate, Flippy, and SAM100 wrinkles and hair.
have useful skills. However, the next generation of Humanlike robots aren’t commonplace yet.
robots will make them look basic. But in your lifetime, you’ll probably encounter
In laboratories around the world, scientists many of them. They already assist visitors with
are developing robots with artificial checking in at hotels in Japan. In the future, they
intelligence—the ability to learn and think like may even help care for sick people.
humans do. Some machines can recognize our
speech and respond. Others see by using lasers PAUSE AND THINK: Why are some
scientists making humanlike robots?
and cameras.
Robots that can see or hear are already
performing more complicated tasks, such as Big Questions

LEFT TO RIGHT: SIMBE ROBOTICS; RINGO CHIU/ZUMAPRESS.COM/NEWSCOM; COURTESY OF MARBLE

delivering medicine in hospitals and measuring Many people find the rise of the robots to be
how well farmers’ crops are growing. And if you scary. If we’re sick, can a machine provide the
shop at a Schnucks grocery store in St. Louis, best comfort? Will robots start to replace human
Missouri, watch out for Tally. This 6-foot-tall robot contact in our lives?
roams the aisles, counting items on the shelves. And the greatest concern: Will robots put
humans out of work? Millions of factory jobs have
PAUSE AND THINK: What is artificial already been lost to machines.
intelligence?
However, some experts believe you probably
won’t lose your job to a robot. They predict that
Robot or Human? you’ll simply work alongside one. The question is,
In addition to acting like us, machines are will you know for sure? •
also looking more human. Because some scientists
believe people are more likely to trust robots that PAUSE AND THINK: Why might you not
know you’re working next to a robot?
look like humans, one British company is making

6 May 2019 | Scholastic Action

 Cheeseburgers, Excuse
coming up! me, pizza
1 delivery.

In a grocery
store Tally is
a 6-foot-tall 3
robot. It counts
I spy the items on 2 On a sidewalk
72 boxes the shelves If you live in Dallas,
of rice . . . at Schnucks At a restaurant A robot Texas—look out! A
markets in named Flippy flips burgers company called
St. Louis, at CaliBurger, a fast-food Marble is testing out
Missouri. restaurant in California. food-delivery robots.

Action
Activity

5 Questions About
Rise of the Robots
WHAT TO DO: Answer the questions below. Use full sentences.
GO
FURTHER!
FIND MORE
ACTIVITIES

?
1. When did robots start working in factories?

WHEN

?
2. What are three jobs that robots already do?

WHAT

?
3. How do engineers make robots look like humans?

HOW

?
4. Where do humanlike robots help visitors check into hotels?

WHERE

?
5. Why are some people worried about robots?

WHY
Answers are in the Teacher’s Guide.

www.scholastic.com/action | May 2019 7