Nasa's Bees: Fifty Experiments That Revolutionized Robotics and AI

by Rob Waugh

The unveiling of increasingly intelligent robots had become a near daily occurrence when NASA revealed the robotic 'bee' helpers it was sending to the International Space Station in 2019. NASA's Bees explores this and 49 more of the most groundbreaking discoveries and advances across the surprisingly long history of robotics and the closely related field of artificial intelligence. From the mechanical men of ancient legend to Tesla's self-driving cars, Nasa's Bees charts the fascinating evolution of the idea of using intelligent man-made or synthetic objects to fulfill our needs. It is a thorough and accessible guide to the history of some of the fastest growing areas of scientific research today. Lucid exploration of the story of robotics through an examination of 50 of its greatest discoveries and advances
- Fully illustrated throughout, with lively illustrations that illuminate the discoveries
- The discoveries cover a broad range of topical concerns, exploring the benefits of each advance and its potential impact on our daily lives as well as the future of the field
- Part of the Great Experiments Series

176 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2023

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating!! I love that it starts it's discussion of robotics with Aristotle. This book leaves you with so many more things to research and read at the end

[MC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting subject material - I haven't read a lot about robotics before, so I can't say for sure if this is all just introductory-level stuff, but it seems like an attempt to reach a wider audience. Not too much text per page and lots of eye-catching graphics.

At the same time, the pictures are what bug me the most - they're quite stylized, without clearly labeling the robot being discussed in the text. For example, I had no idea that NASA's bee robots were these soccer-ball sized cubes pictured at the start of the chapter - there weren't any indications on the picture itself. If that is intentional, to get the reader to look up the robot online & spark some personal research/deeper interest, then it worked! But I would have liked some normal, labeled photos in the book itself.

Other than that, it seemed informative and written in easy to digest sections. Might read again.