An quick introduction to California’s interesting insects and innovative robots.

Engage in person, join in the fun at our special event Bots & Bugs happening April 6-8, 2018. #BotsAndBugs

Bots of California

What counts as a robot?

A robot by definition is a computer programmed machine capable of automatic actions. Though their appearance in pop culture is often portrayed in a  humanoid fashion, robots take many forms.

What are some robots found in California?

• These first ones are easy: look to your local Roomba and other programmable appliance. There’s the self-cleaning litter box, a robot that clips your lawn, and another robot that does your laundry. These quirky inventions are not just useful, they’re game changers for people who need assistive devices (trivia: there’s a saying that you want something ‘frivolous’ to go mainstream so that it becomes affordable for those who need the device but would not otherwise be able to afford it).
• Starship is a company that serves their community through local delivery bots. There are other local delivery bot companies out there too, like Dispatch and Marble. Delivery robots help companies cut costs and ideally pass those savings down to the consumer; the bots cargo could be food, groceries, or medicines.
• For youth sport, look to FIRST robotic competitions.
  • There are robotics competitions run by FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) that are geared toward many different age groups. You’ll find teams working on robots made with different materials as well (did someone say Legos?).
  • 
• For other youth activities, find a robotics camp like ID Tech!
  • ID Tech holds tech classes, including ones on robotics, at prestigious universities. They say it best: “Machine learning is the way of 21st century life and the field of robotics is booming. Everything from cars and smartphones to thermostats and gaming consoles are tied to robotics and mechanical engineering.”
• Ever wanted a real-life robo cop? Well, there is one either way…kind of: meet Knightscope. This robot is equipped with live feed cameras, an ‘event detector’ (like ‘broken glass’) and a voice to respond to those events (either out loud or by calling authorities).
• There’s also the burger flipping bot, Flippy, who works at a restaurant in Pasadena, California.
• And then there is crowd favorite Giant Cardboard Robot, which…well, that’s self-explanatory. Just teasing the silhouette for now, meet one in person at Bots & Bugs!
  • 

Remember, you can meet both the people, and the bots, from FIRST, ID Tech, Starship, and Giant Cardboard Robot at our April 2018 event Bots & Bugs!

 

Bugs of California

What is a bug… and do spiders count?

A bug by definition is a small insect. A spider is an arachnid, not an insect. Arachnids and insects are both types of arthropods though, which is great for educational discussion! Because spiders are often grouped in with bugs, many take this opportunity to talk about their differences. We will, too:

Arthropods [commonly misspelled as ‘anthropod’] have many things in common with each other; some being, “…bilaterally symmetrical protostomes with strongly segmented bodies…segmentation affects both external and internal structure. Some segments are fused to form specialized body regions; these include the head, thorax and abdomen. The body is covered with an exoskeleton made up primarily of chitin. Primitively, each body segment bears a pair of segmented (jointed) appendages; in all living arthropods, many of these appendages are dramatically modified or even lost. Arthropods generally grow by molting their exoskeletons in a process called ecdysis.” One of the biggest differences between arachnids and insects is that arachnids have 2 tagmata (a.k.a. the ‘specialized body regions’ previously mentioned) while insects have 3 tagmata. For example: a spider has a head and an abdomen (2), but an ant has a head, a thorax (middle), and an abdomen (3).

What are some bugs I might find in California?

We’ll list a few favorites, and then dive into some lesser-known bugs!

• A favorite, the monarch butterfly and its doppelganger the viceroy butterfly
  • Check out how to tell the difference and more here.
• A pillbug
• A fiery skipper
  • 
• Fig beetle (a.k.a. green fruit beetle) ((Want to see one up close? Pro tip: check out Palo Alto Baylands in the summer))
  • 
• A Symphlan
  • 

Arachnid time! These arthropods aren’t technically bugs (‘tiny insects’) because they’re not insects.

• Ticks
• All spiders, like our black widow
  • 
• Scorpions
• Vinegaroon (maybe you’ll meet ours during an educational talk at CuriOdyssey!)
  • 

Did your favorite make the list? No? It’s alright, there are many more bots and bugs in California than what we have listed here! May you discover more online and in person at zoos and science centers like ours. Thank you for your curiosity.

Finds us online. #CuriOdyssey #BotsAndBugs #SciencePwr