Your thesis statement not only tells your state representative your opinion about research in robotic technology, it can also help you organize your letter. You can show how robots can do many of the same things humans can do with some convincing evidence and facts. The next step is to look for factual examples that prove robots have been used successfully to take the place of humans. As you research, you need to sort through the examples that show some factual evidence and decide which examples will best persuade your state legislator. One way to do this is to think about your thesis statement. Which of the articles and videos below support your thesis that robots can do what humans do?

1. Read this article about robots auditioning for movie parts. “Watch MST3K Robots Audition for Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

This example certainly shows robots doing things that humans can do like auditioning for movie parts, but you have to ask yourself if you think this will be the example that would convince your state representative to spend more money on developing robots? Maybe you should continue reading and see if there are some examples of robots serving a more important purpose.

2. Read this article about the robot Atlas. “Boston Dynamics Presents the 'Next Generation' Atlas Robot"

This example seems to be more like it. Atlas could take the place of a person in a warehouse job, leaving that person to do more important work. It appears that Atlas can do more than a human here because he can overcome obstacles that humans might have difficulty doing. Keep this example in mind.

3. Look at this ad for Toys”R”Us featuring transformers.

While this is an interesting ad for something that might happen in the future, it doesn’t support your thesis that robots are just as capable as humans.

4. Read this article and watch the two videos about Philbot, a computer that makes it possible for a student to be included in his class activities even though he is seriously ill and not able to actually go to school. “Robots Attend School in Place of Sick Kids, Thanks to One Giving Boy”

This article and video are strong possibilities because they show how a robot can help a little boy keep up with schoolwork and friends. Because these robots are already being used, your state representative can see exactly how money might be spent on this project.

5. Finally, read this article about robots in hospitals. “Robots in Hospitals”

In this article, you read how robots can assist hospital workers and doctors to make work more efficient and sometimes easier on the patient. This article sounds like it might be pretty persuasive when it comes to asking for money for more robotics research.

Now, do the short exercise below to collect your best evidence and facts; discard the articles and videos you don’t want to use.

Drag and drop the title of each video/article into either a box titled “Use in my letter” or “Discard.”

Okay, now you’ve pinned down your three best examples of useful robotic technology: Atlas, the Philbot, and the HelpMate. You’re about ready to start writing your letter.

Images used in this section:

Source: OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay