In the future will we spend our leisure time with smart and sophisticated machines designed for fun - Entertainment Robots? Marvel at Mantis, a two ton insect and Tradinno, a giant fire-spitting dragon. Then take a seat and watch a mechanical actor and a robotic pianist perform.
From brains to eyes, hands to legs, and deep down to the internal organs; implants, prosthesis and rehabilitation are entering a new era potentially creating a new type of human being - The Bionic Man- in reality, not on retro TV. But what ethical concerns arise as we mix technology with biology?
Inhospitable environments that would normally be unreachable become accessible thanks to a new class of robot - Robot Explorers. Robots can help us in difficult tasks like search and rescue operations. Is there any danger in letting machines handle so many tasks that used to belong to us?
They look like us. They move like us. And very soon they will live among us. They are humanoid robots. Meet an astonishing group of humanoids, among them: iCub, the world's first baby robot, and REEM, the Service Robot, ready to be launched as a guide in public spaces. Get to know humanoids!
By the year 2050, three quarters of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Looking at robotic systems being developed worldwide we can take a glimpse at the city life of the future. Private transportation with self-driving cars, our homes with automated systems - robots are in our future.
Mankind has always looked at nature to solve problems, taking a cue from the solutions that biological systems have refined through natural selection. In this episode we look at a robotic plant that mimics the mechanics of plant roots, and dive underwater to see robots inspired by fish.
In the post-apocalyptic world of 2024, rover Vic (Don Johnson) hears a voice from his dog and communicates with him telepathically. The dog is called Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire). Vic is an 18-year-old boy who was born in and scavenging throughout the wasteland of the former southwestern United States.
The transport sector has long been known as a major source of pollution affecting the air, damaging our health, animal life and the environment. Cars are a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Road transport is responsible for the emission of hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, metals and a variety of organic compounds into the environment. Emissions are higher when there is a concentration of traffic levels.
Humankind faces some very difficult choices - our beautiful planet cannot support 6 billion people without fossil fuel. Fossil energy will become rare and expensive in the not very distant future. In China recently, resurgences in nuclear energy have emerged, as the world’s most populous country consumes more and more energy. A United Kingdom family tests their energy consumption and shows us all how that by making small changes we can have an impact.
