Fantastically Fast Cars

Children's Literature - Hazel Buys

One of the most satisfying developments in robotics is the substitution of machines for people in the performance of some of the most dangerous jobs on earth. Even if the work is simply exceptionally rough and tough, a robot can fulfill many functions better and more reliably than a human being. If a robot tumbles down the inside of a volcano, falls off an ice flow into the arctic waters, or is blown up while investigating an IED (improvised explosive device), another can be built and no human lives are lost. Even if the danger isn't extreme, robots do exceptional jobs of gathering data or performing tasks with precision and reliability, day or night. The future holds great potential for robots to expand their work in extreme situations. One day, a search-and-rescue robot may even deliver food, water and medicines to a trapped person, going into places inaccessible to search dogs or humans. Parker condenses complex information into two-page spreads, each spread presenting an extreme environment, and the robots developed to work in it, with clarity and imagination. Detailed captions accompany color photographs and expand on the information in the text. Sidebars in contrast colors present interesting information on specific aspects of the robots. This book, part of "Robot World" series, concludes with a glossary, a list of further reading, a list of websites and an index and is recommended as a resource in upper elementary or middle school classes on robotics and the role of technology in society. Reviewer: Hazel Buys