Mighty Robots (19th of November 2010)

mighty robots coverpage naslovnica

Mighty Robots: Mechanical Marvels that Fascinate and Frighten is a book by David Jones published in year 2005 by a Canadian publisher >> Annick Press. The cover of the book is shown in the photo above. The book was intented to be read by younger population (11+) and it exposes the history of robotics in a pretty understandable and direct way. The book is also nicely illustrated, mostly by reproductions of photographs related to the subject (see the image below). On >> the Annick Press pages you can also download the PDF with much better quality (on the right, follow the link "Look inside").

sample page 1

One can find the following regarding the book on the web:

Robots have lived in the human imagination for generations. Remember Frankenstein’s creature brought to life by an electric charge, the Tin Man who yearned to become human, or the robot-filled world of the popular 1960s animated television series The Jetsons?

Young readers will share this fascination as they embark on a thrilling journey from primitive robots to the revolution that is now underway. Chapters include:

In Our Own Image: The history of robots, from the first automaton in 1709 to the rise of computers in 20th century.
Where are All the Robots?: Robot predictions from the past vs. modern reality.
Robot Explorers: Searching new frontiers: underwater, outer space.
Fighting Robots: Military assignments too dangerous for humans.
Working Robots: From assembly line operations to intricate surgical procedures.
Robots at Play: Robotic athletes, pets, toys and even actors grabbing the movie spotlight.
The Future: What can we expect?

In the chapter on future there is a page with my illustration (see the photo of the page below).

sample page 2

The illustration was remade especially for the book and it features nano-robots (or nanobots) that destroy a virus.

illustration nanobots

The illustration is a variant of an older version made in year 2003 (see the image below) where I did not yet know the details of the geometry of viruses, as can be seen below. This was corrected in the version from year 2005.

illustration nanobots

Red background in both images should represent the alveolar wall with individual cells visible, so that the exciting show takes place in the lungs. This is of course a consequence of an active and frightened subconsciousness of a smoker. It would be nice if we could really make these wonders, but for now we will have to rely on other procedures.

<< In The Big Bang Akahito's waka >>

Last updated on 19th of November 2010.