Looking for a great way to introduce kids to robotics? There is now a video of “How to Train Your Robot,” a children’s book by CITRIS People and Robots Director Ken Goldberg and his daughter Blooma. The 15-minute video includes animatics, story narration, and has subtitles available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, and simplified Chinese.
Aimed at children ages six to eleven, the video is a perfect introduction to robotics for kids who want to get started with designing and building robots. It tells the story of 4th graders who build a robot to clean up their Razzle-Dazzle Robot Club workshop. When it doesn’t work as expected, they visit their local university where they discover new research in artificial intelligence (AI) and robot learning.
The book is both educational and entertaining. It introduces readers to cutting-edge robotics and AI in a highly accessible way and models authentic engineering practices such as iterative design, testing, and learning through failure. With a diverse cast of characters and colorful, humorous illustrations, “How to Train Your Robot” will inspire girls and members of other under-represented groups to explore engineering, robotics, and coding for themselves.
Watch the video
“How to Train Your Robot” is written by Blooma Goldberg, Ken Goldberg, and science communicator Ashley Chase. It is illustrated by Dave Clegg. Thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation and UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, “How to Train Your Robot” is available as a free PDF online.
Download the Book >
Info and Resource Page >
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The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute drive interdisciplinary innovation for social good with faculty researchers and students from four University of California campuses – Berkeley, Davis, Merced, and Santa Cruz – along with public and private partners.
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