Robot Zine
With advances in AI, it is more important than ever that we consider how humans and computers will interact. How do you want the robots of the future to behave towards you and others? For this activity, you will design a robot to solve a real-world problem and tell the story of your robot by creating a zine that includes a design sketch, details about how their robot will use sensors to sense the world around it and a code of conduct for how your robot will interact with humans.
Materials
Large paper or whiteboard for brainstorming
Print out enough copies of the Robot Zine template for your participants
Scissors
Markers, crayons, pencils
Construction paper and glue sticks
Optional: magazines for cutting out images/text
Optional: sticky notes
Instructions
Check out the activity instructions on GoOpenVA.
Things to discuss
What is a robot? Watch: HardWIRED: So, What Is a Robot Really? and/or Amazon Robotics Vision
Brainstorm all the different types of robots you know about.
What is something a robot can do now or may do in the future that you are looking forward to?
What is a zine? A zine is a self-made publication. "It allows people of all interests and agendas to voice their opinions, art, and rants to a wide audience in a relatively cheap and fun way," writes Matt Holdaway. The future of robotics is definitely a subject that needs a diverse set of voices thinking about and sharing their ideas.Â
What are ethics? Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person's behavior. An example of ethics is a code of conduct set by a group, like a school, sports team or business, to set the norms, rules and responsibilities for the individuals in that group. What rules need to be part of a code of conduct for robots and their creators?
Share robot scenarios as inspiration for zine work.