Once, robots were only found in science fiction books and movies. Today, robots are everywhere They assemble massive cars and tiny computer chips. They help doctors do delicate surgery. They vacuum our houses and mow our lawns. Robot toys play with us, follow our commands, and respond to our moods. We even send robots to explore the depths of the ocean and the expanse of space. In "Robotics," children ages 9 and up learn how robots affect both the future and the present. Hands-on activities make learning both fun and lasting.

Making Simple Robots is based on the idea that anybody can build a robot! That includes kids, educators, parents, and anyone who didn't make it to engineering school. If you can cut, fold, and tape a piece of paper to make a tube or a box, you can build a no-tech robotic part. In fact, many of the models in this book are based upon real-life prototypes -- working models created in research labs and companies. What's more, if you can use the apps on your smartphone, you can quickly learn to tell robots what to do using free, online, beginner-level software like MIT's Scratch and Microsoft MakeCode. The projects in this book which teach you about electric circuits by making jumping origami frogs with eyes that light up when you get them ready to hop. You'll practice designing all-terrain robot wheel-legs with free, online Tinkercad software, and you'll create files ready for 3D printing. You'll also learn to sew -- and code -- a cyborg rag doll with a blinking electronic "eye." Each project includes step-by-step directions and clear illustrations and photographs. Along the way, you'll learn about the real research behind the DIY version, find shortcuts for making projects easier when needed, and get suggestions for adding to the challenge as your skill set grows.

Paper is amazing stuff. It's cheap, easy to use, and easy to recycle. It's lightweight and easy to cut or tear--but incredibly strong when folded, layered, or rolled. It can stand stiff as a board, pop up like a spring, or hang softly like a silk scarf. It's disposable, but it can last for centuries. Its surface can be rough, or creamy smooth, or shiny. Sometimes it's so thin you can see through it; other times, it's thick enough to hold globs of paint. But it can also be beautiful, all on its own. The projects in Paper Inventions were inspired by the many different varieties of paper, from fancy artists' watercolor paper to recycled copy paper, and the many different ways it is used. Whether you like to make crafts or play with electronics, there's a project that will challenge you and unleash your creativity. Projects in this book include: DIY flavored edible paper and ink Paper sensors and switches Paper windmill and paper machines 3D designs with paper Origami and other fold and cut designs

Believe it or not, there's a lot of inventing going on in the kitchen. Unless you only eat fruits and veggies right off the plant, you are using tools and techniques invented by humans to make food more tasty and easier to digest. When you cook food, you start to break it down into a form your body can absorb. When you add chemicals to make it thicker, gooey-er, or puffy-er, you turn a bunch of boring ingredients into a mouth-watering snack. Edible Inventions: Cooking Hacks and Yummy Recipes You Can Build, Mix, Bake, and Grow will show you some unusual ways to create a meal, and help you invent some of your own. Projects include: 3D printing with food Chemical cuisine and molecular gastronomy Prepared foods like jellies and pickles at home Growing your own ingredients Cooking off the grid

More than 30 hands-on projects for ages 7 and up that teach history, science and art by the author of the popular activity books Robotics and Geek Mom. Easy to follow step-by-step photos show you how to make realistic-looking crafts, suitable for gifts or school presentations. Includes interesting background information, along with related activities and print and Internet resources. Kids and adults can learn how to add on an abacus, design a Medieval gargoyle, compare different solar cookers, and find out why boomerangs fly and try an Early American paper craft. Crafts include a working electrical telegraph, African and Scandinavian baskets, flipbook animation, prehistoric cave drawings, and Mexican-style yarn paintings. Great for home, school, scouts, 4-H -- and anyone who loves making crafts