Finding the Hidden Robots in Your House
Did you know your refrigerator is kind of a robot? It has a tiny brain called a sensor that checks how cold it is inside, all day and all night, without anyone telling it to!
What You'll Learn
You will find 5 machines at home that use technology. You will learn the word 'sensor' and what it does. You will sort machines into 'simple' and 'smart' groups.
What Makes a Machine 'Smart'?
A simple machine, like a spoon or a see-saw, only does what YOU make it do. A smart machine can sense something in the world and react on its own. A microwave senses when 60 seconds are up and beeps by itself. A thermostat senses when a room gets cold and turns the heat on by itself. That sensing part is what makes it 'smart' technology, not just a plain tool.
A sensor is a tiny part inside a machine that notices things, like light, heat, sound, or motion, kind of like the machine's own eyes or ears.
Three Smart Helpers You Already Know
1. Automatic doors at the grocery store sense your feet stepping close and slide open. 2. A night-light senses when the room gets dark and turns itself on. 3. A dishwasher senses when the water is dirty and knows when to drain it out.
Match each machine to the thing it senses.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What makes a machine 'smart' technology instead of just a simple tool?
Walk around one room with a grown-up and ask: does this notice anything by itself? If yes, it might be smart technology!
Which of these is an example of a sensor at work?
My Home Technology Hunt
Walk through your home with a grown-up. Find 5 machines. For each one, draw it on paper and write S for Simple or T for Smart Technology next to it, based on whether it senses something. Circle your favorite smart helper and tell someone why you picked it.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
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