Acrobatic Robots

Dennis Hong, a mechanical engineer inspired by Star Wars, leads a lab at Virginia Tech creating innovative robots. His projects, supported by the National Science Foundation, include acrobatic robots, a robotic hand named Raphael, and Climber, a bot capable of scaling cliffs. Other creations include Impasse, a hybrid robot for rescue missions, and Hydras, a robot for dangerous scaffolding. Hong's team is also developing firefighting robots and humanoid robots that play soccer. Notably, they created the first car for the blind. Many designs stem from Hong's dreams, turning imagination into reality.

What inspired Dennis Hong to pursue robotics?

• A science fair project

• A visit to NASA

• Watching Star Wars

• A book on robotics

What is the primary function of the robot named Climber?

• To scale steep cliffs

• To perform household chores

• To assist in medical surgeries

• To play soccer

Which robot is designed to help in firefighting?

• Raphael

• Climber

• A robot snake

• Hydras

What unique feature does the Blind Driver Challenge car have?

• It is autonomous

• It is solar-powered

• It can fly

• It can be driven by the blind

How does Dennis Hong come up with his robot designs?

• Through team brainstorming sessions

• By studying nature

• By attending robotics conferences

• From dreams he has at night