PBS39 Adds The Robot Doctor ToEducation Lineup
Series Will Provide Additional Programing for Grades 3-5 as Part of The Lehigh Valley Learns Initiative
Bethlehem, PA. - May 8, 2020 - PBS39 will air the limited series, The Robot Doctor — a program created through RobotWits, a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff company working on cutting edge technologies in Robotics. The series extends robotics and mathematics lessons to students without internet access.
The Robot Doctor will air on PBS39 Extra (Channel 35.1), beginning Thursday, May 14 at 3 p.m. with subsequent episodes airing every Thursday through July 2. These 30-minute episodes will serve as supplemental education content for the Lehigh Valley Learns initiative.
“Airing this special bolsters our education lineup, which helps to provide more remote resources for our viewers - especially those with children who fall in grades K-5,” said Yoni Greenbaum, Chief Content Officer, Lehigh Valley Public Media.
The goal of this limited series is to teach the basics of Robotics and to provide take-home problems to solve. Additionally, RobotWits LLCis partnering withPA Rural Robotics to assist educators in planning and customizing content to complement their school district, students, and community needs.
The Robot Doctor is hosted by Dr. Jonathan Butzke, Lead Robotics Researcher at RobotWits, a Pittsburgh-based company that develops state-of-the-art technologies for a diverse set of autonomous decision making tasks. Dr. Butzke obtained his Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University where he worked in the Search-Based Planning Lab. His research activities include aerial and ground vehicle coordination, exploration of unknown environments and the hardware design of numerous robots.
The series will be available to all public television stations in Pennsylvania so that the programs can reach rural as well as urban audiences.
Series Schedule on PBS39 Extra:
#35.1 by antenna (Also available on Service Electric #53, RCN #38, Comcast #1035, Fios #35, DirecTV #35) | ||
| Date | Show Title | Description |
| 5/14 | Lesson 101- Robotics: An Introduction | Design elements and how they relate to the purpose of a robot. |
| 5/21 | Lesson 102 - Sense - Plan - Act Framework | How a robot can break down its tasks into sensing the surroundings, planning what to do next, then executing that plan. |
| 5/28 | Lesson 103 - Robot Measurements: How do I measure? | Looking at different ways to measure distances, speeds, time and other items important to robots. |
| 6/4 | Lesson 104 - Robot Localization: Where am I? | How a robot can keep track of its position as it moves and how to update that position with math using ranges to known landmarks. |
| 6/11 | Lesson 105 - Robot Motion: How can I move? | How a robot can move around using legs, wheels, or other methods. Also, using math to predict where a robot will be in the future - given a model of the robot and the equations of motion. |
| 6/18 | Lesson 106 - Robot Vision: How do I see? | How a robot can sense the world around it by using cameras, including how to tell the distance to objects seen by two cameras. |
| 6/25 | Lesson 107 - Robot Sensing: How do I sense? | How a robot can "see" the things around it without using cameras. Converting polar coordinates to cartesian coordinates in order to make a map. |
| 7/2 | Lesson 108 - Following a Line | How we can control robots’ motors in order to follow a line - including a curved line. |
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About Lehigh Valley Public Media™
Lehigh Valley Public Media is home to PBS39, WLVR News, and various community initiatives. We are the regional leader in the publicly funded, non-profit media space and serve a vibrant and growing economic region through a dedication to local, unbiased journalism, primary and secondary education, workforce development and health and wellness. PBS39 broadcasts four additional channels of content: PBS39 Extra, WORLD, Create TV and France 24. Lehigh Valley Public Media is licensed in Allentown to the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. For more information, visit PBS39.org.
About RobotWits
RobotWits LLC is a Carnegie Mellon University-spinoff company working on cutting edge technologies in Robotics. In particular, it focuses on developing advanced Planning, Prediction, and Decision-making technologies for self-driving vehicles and other robotic solutions. RobotWits provides innovative technology and customizable training solutions for industry, government agencies, and educational organizations.
About PA Rural Robotics
ThePennsylvania Rural Robotics Initiative creates sustainable, world-class educational robotics opportunities for students across the commonwealth. While empowering teachers and creating immersive learning experiences, PA Rural Robotics emphasizes community and equity as it creates pathways for students that will prepare them for 21st-century careers.