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Julian N

Julian writes STEM guides for parents. He specializes in robotics kids overview, science and engineering projects, budget robotics options, and screen-free activities that actually keep kids engaged. Honest about what works and what doesn't.

Humanoid Robots Have Started Showing Up for Work

Humanoid Robots Have Started Showing Up for Work

Robots that walk, carry boxes, and work alongside people are no longer science fiction. They're showing up for real shifts in real warehouses. Here's what's happening with humanoid robots, and why it's worth talking about with your child.

The Robot That Runs on Mushrooms

The Robot That Runs on Mushrooms

A robot at Cornell University walks on five soft legs, controlled not by code but by mushroom mycelium growing into its electronics. When the fungus senses light, the robot changes its gait. Nobody reprogrammed it. The mushroom decided.

Robotics Kits on a Budget: What's Worth It Under $100 / £85 for a 6-10 Year Old

Most cheap robotics kits end up in the cupboard by week three. This is a guide to the ones that don't. Honest picks under $30, $60, and $100 (£25, £50, £85) for kids 6 to 10, with a four-test filter for spotting rubbish, three traps to avoid, and US and UK buying links throughout.

The Robots That Solved the Hula Hoop

The Robots That Solved the Hula Hoop

Nobody had explained how a hula hoop stays up. It took a mathematician watching street performers and a set of 3D-printed wiggling robots to crack it. The answer involves geometry, gravity, and a toy everyone knows doing something nobody had understood.

Robotics for 13+ Year Olds: When the Kit Stops Being the Point

Robotics for 13+ Year Olds: When the Kit Stops Being the Point

Most 13-year-olds don't want to follow a tutorial. They want to build the thing they saw on YouTube at midnight. The tools available to them now are the same ones adults use. The right kit at this age isn't the most advanced one. It's the one they'll finish.

robotics news AMOLF inflatable legs robot that moves with air

The Robot That Thinks With Its Legs

A soft-bodied robot made from elastic tubes can walk, hop, and swim, powered by nothing but air. No computer, no sensors, no code. Scientists at AMOLF in Amsterdam built it, and the physics behind it started with those wobbling inflatable tube men outside car dealerships.

Robotics for 11-12 Year Olds: The Year They Stop Needing the Instructions

Robotics for 11-12 Year Olds: The Year They Stop Needing the Instructions

Most 11yo read the tutorial once, then close it. The kits that fail at this age aren't too hard. They're too constrained. When a child can see the ceiling, they lose interest. The right kit is the one that lets them keep climbing.