Explore the World of Robotics On Your iPad

Explore the World of Robotics On Your iPad By Rachel CericolaEmail AuthorNovember 29, 2012 | 8:30 am

Robots have always been an endless source of fascination and inspiration for books, movies, TV and life in general. Our own GeekMom Kathy Ceceri even turned the topic into a hands-on adventure in her book, Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future. If you have the interest but maybe not the skills, check out the new Robots for iPad app. Designed by the geeks at IEEE Spectrum, the app has insanely detailed information on 126 robots from 19 countries. A few of the featured robots include NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and Google’s self-driving car, as well as plenty of super-cool androids, drones and exoskeletons The app is hours of fun for beginners and enthusiasts, with 34 different 360-degree views and interactive animations, tons of technical specs, and hundreds of photos, videos, and other tidbits. This actually may be the closest many of you will ever get to a robot — and it’s pretty darn close, thanks to that interactivity. For instance, users can get the little humanoid Nao to perform tai chi or make the child robot iCub crawl back and forth, all with the touch of a finger. How cool is that? Other features include audio interviews with leading roboticists, an in-depth glossary, and profile pages on each robot with detailed specs, including dimensions, sensors, actuators, cost, and more. The app also invites users to rate each robot and ranks them as the top rated, most wanted and even the creepiest. Optimized for the Retina display, the Robots for iPad app works with any iPad model, including the new iPad mini. It’s available now at the iTunes App Store for $4.99.