Turtle (robot) facts for kids
Turtle robots are special learning machines. They were first made in the 1940s by people like William Grey Walter. These robots help students learn about computer science and how machines are built.
Turtle robots are usually low to the ground. They often have a round, dome-shaped cover, which can sometimes be clear so you can see inside. They are designed to turn in very small circles. Many of these robots have sensors. These sensors help them avoid bumping into things. If a robot is advanced enough, its sensors can even help it understand what's around it. You can buy turtle robots in stores, and they are popular projects for people who enjoy building robots as a hobby.
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How Turtle Robots Work
Turtle robots are famous because of Seymour Papert and the Logo programming language. Logo was a popular language for teaching computers in the 1980s.
Drawing with Turtles
Some turtle robots made for Logo systems have a special pen. This pen lets the robot draw designs on a big piece of paper as it moves. Imagine a robot drawing a square or a circle!
The First Logo Turtle
The very first Logo turtle robot was named "Irving." It was built by Paul Wexelblat at a company called BBN. "Irving" was shown at a school in Lexington, Massachusetts. This robot had special bump sensors. If it hit something, it would know. It could also make a sound with a bell to give feedback.
Virtual Turtles on Screen
The idea of the robotic turtle became so popular that the word "turtle" was also used for the cursor on computer screens. This cursor was part of the turtle graphics feature in the Logo language. So, even without a physical robot, you could still "draw" with a virtual turtle on your computer screen!
