Robot Scientists

FICTION:

Even gems like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century sometimes manage to guess the future. One of the main characters in this 1979 TV show was Dr. Theopolis, a robot scientist in the form of a large disk containing a lighted “face.” Despite the indignity of having to be carried around by Twiki (a short robot who spoke with a stutter reminiscent of Porky Pig), Dr. Theopolis was considered one of the top minds of his time and was a member of the “Earth Computer Council.”

 


FACT:

While not as small, cute and portable as Dr. Theopolis, Adam is a functioning scientist at Aberystwyth University, where it independently selects and performs experiments in the field of genetics. Occupying 15 meters of lab space, Adam consists of a robotic arm, and a range of devices including an automated freezer, incubator and centrifuge.

Adam’s assistance is invaluable because it can handle much of the tedium and “drudgery” involved in performing many experiments.

LEARN MORE:

• Robot Scientist Said to Equal Humans at Some Tasks
• Robot Scientist Adam Solves Genetic Problems