Hello Creators of Tomorrow!
In this AI and the Kid episode, Emily and Alex explore the world of smart homes and AI appliances. From robot vacuums that clean your floors to refrigerators that help you make shopping lists, we discover how artificial intelligence makes our homes smarter and our lives easier. And we’ll learn about the surprising history of smart devices.
Let’s dive into this week’s adventure!
What You'll Learn in This Episode
Helpful Appliances: Discover how smart vacuums navigate and clean your home
Robot Communication: Learn how different smart appliances work together
Smart Device History: Find out what smart device was invented in 1966
Listen to the Podcast
You can find AI and the Kid anywhere you get your podcasts.
A Note from Emily
New things can make us a little nervous—that includes new technology. I remember being scared of our Romba or a little jumpy about our Google Home.
But you know what? That is not a bad thing. It is ok to be concerned about new technology. As I’ve learned more about these devices, I’ve realized how helpful they can be.
Sometimes, understanding things helps us be less scared about them. I hope this episode helps you understand them a little better.
🤖 Chat with Gear
Want to discuss the episode more? Try out our custom chatbot, Gear. Gear can answer all your questions or help you explore the topics from this episode more.
Fun Fact Corner
Did you know that the first smart appliance was called the Echo IV (not to be confused with Amazon's Echo)? It was invented by James Sutherland in 1966. This giant machine could play educational games, control your TV, and set alarms - just like today's smart speakers. But here's the funny part: it was 25,000 times slower than modern computers and weighed about 800 pounds.
Here is an article with pictures of Echo IV.
And here is a super smart home today.
Beyond the Podcast: Fun Experiments to Try at Home!
Experiment 1: Map Your Room Like a Robot Vacuum
Draw a basic outline of your room
Mark obstacles like furniture
Create a "cleaning path" that covers the whole room without crossing over itself
Try to navigate the path with your toy car or by walking it
Experiment 2: Create a Smart Home Command Center
Design a control panel with buttons for different smart devices
Label each button with its function
Practice giving voice commands
Role-play different smart home scenarios
You can take turns with a friend being the smart robot.
Experiment 3: Create Your Own Smart Home Assistant
Design your own smart home assistant by drawing or crafting it
Use paper, markers, crayons, a cardboard box, and random craft supplies (buttons, stickers, pipe cleaners, etc.)
Create a list of at least five tasks your assistant can help with (like turning off lights or making shopping lists)
Write down the "commands" people would use to activate each task
Make a binary code chart showing how your assistant would translate human commands into computer language (1s and 0s)
Present your creation to family members and explain how it works
Bonus Challenge: Try programming a simple sequence of commands using arrows (↑↓←→) to help your assistant navigate through a room!
Questions from This Episode
What smart devices do you have in your home, and how do they make our lives easier?
If you could add any smart device to our home, what would it be and why?
If our smart home devices could talk to each other in human language instead of binary code (1s and 0s), what do you think they would say to each other?
If you could invent a new smart appliance, what would it do?
What's your favorite robot helper from movies or books?
Use these questions to spark discussions with family and friends!
What's Next on AI and the Kid
Get ready for our next exciting episode, where we'll explore how chatbots work and dive into the fascinating world of languages!
Call for Questions: Be Part of the Podcast!
Got Questions? We're All Ears!
Emily and Alex would LOVE to hear your questions! Maybe your question will be featured in our next episode!
📧 Email: aikidmedia@gmail.com
📱 Message us on Substack: @aikid
Remember: No question is too big or small - that's how we learn and discover together!
Stay Curious
Keep reading and learning! Remember, as Emily and Alex always say:
"Be creative, learn, and keep discovering. Because you are the creators of tomorrow."
Start your AI adventure with a friend. Share the link below! Let us know what you think, or share your fun experiments in the comments below.
This newsletter was written in collaboration with AI. The main image was created in Canva by a human.