TED Conference 2011 Speaker: Roboticist Dennis Hong

Dennis Hong, the director and founder of RoMeLa (a Virginia Tech robotics lab), talked about robotics at the TED Conference (2011) and unveiled the seven new innovative automatons that he and his group of students have built and developed over these past few years. Incredibly, there were robots that took shape of insects, reptiles, vehicle parts, cellular organisms, and humans (including specific human body parts such as the hand). Most of the robotic machines were designed to withstand and prevail over the obstacles that earthly terrains usually have to offer – cliffs, gaps, ditches, and so forth. On the other hand, some were invented to perform human tasks and activities, such as holding objects, typing on a keyboard, and even playing soccer! Better yet, there were some robots that were constructed to improve (or to be used as) modern-day tools.  Hong and his team produced robots that can greatly benefit society by making everyday tasks easier to perform. Their accomplishments epitomize groundbreaking technological breakthroughs in our era. Such achievements reflect on how much technology has evolved throughout world history. Hong, his team and scientists/engineers alike are basically setting up a foundation to the dream of creating a perfect android (a human robot). Certainly, humanity will move forward with the aid of cybernetic technology.   

According to his brief biography displayed on the TED Website, Dennis Hong was an expert on unifying robotics with biochemistry (hence, the creation of the automatons listed on the first paragraph). His contributions to the American society have led him to become one of NASA’s “Summer Faculty Fellows” in 2005. Moreover, the National Science Foundation granted him the CAREER reward in 2007 and 2009. Ultimately, the magazine Popular Science has titled him as one of its “Brilliant 10.” In the video of his presentation during the Conference (2011), his motto was “Work smart, then work hard.” Nevertheless, he emphasized that most important thing when doing something was to “have fun.” He also stressed that education is valuable and that learning is very important when it comes to living life.

Sources:

1. Biography: http://www.ted.com/speakers/dennis_hong.html
2. Video: http://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_hong_my_seven_species_of_robot.html