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Robots and Us: Scientific Inventions to Popular Culture

Robots and Us: Scientific Inventions to Popular Culture

22.10.2025

Robotic technologies are a field that brings together humanity’s scientific curiosity and cultural imagination. Machines born in labs have permeated every aspect of our lives, transforming into iconic figures of popular culture. So how did robots evolve from a technical invention into the heroes of our stories? In this article, we will explore both the scientific foundations and the cultural impact of robotics.

A Scientific Revolution: The Rise of Robots

Robotics is shaped by the fusion of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mechanical engineering. For instance, Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, with its four-legged design, can navigate challenging terrain and perceive its surroundings through advanced sensors. In the medical field, da Vinci surgical robots enhance doctors’ capabilities with millimeter-level precision. By 2025, robots will be everywhere in industry, from autonomous production lines to logistics. Robots in Amazon’s warehouses quickly prepare orders, while drones shorten delivery times. These innovations are proof of scientific determination and the drive to push technological boundaries.

Robots In Popular Culture: New Heroes Of The Story

Robots have captured our imagination by leaping from science fiction into popular culture. Karel Čapek’s 1920s play R.U.R. introduced the word “robot” to the world. Today, robots—from the terrifying machines of The Terminator to the adorable trash collector Wall-E—evoke our emotions. Productions like Westworld spark ethical debates by questioning the possibility of robots gaining consciousness. Popular culture portrays robots not just as technology but as reflections of human nature. These stories raise philosophical questions that shape the future of our relationship with robots.

The Technologies That Touch Our Lives: A New Way of Connecting

These technologies, in the daily life create deep effects on culturel context. In Japan, while using as a role of elderly care, in the West, it stands out in the entertainment and sevice sector. For example, the systems that able to communicate with the understanding of emotional reactions, are taking the role of waiters in the restaurants. In Turkiye, social robots and service robots produced by AKINROBOTICS, being utilized across a wide range of sectors, including education, service, trade fairs, and restaurants. In particular, Mini Ada Robot contributes emotional development of the children with Autism by facilitating eye contact in educational settings. It shows that this technology is not only functional anymore, but also it becomes a tool for establishing emotional and social connections. By gaining different meanings across different cultures, it re-defines human-robot interaction.

A Look to The Future: Together With The Robots

Robots stand at the intersection of scientific innovation and cultural imagination. While Science makes them smarter and more proficient, whereas popular culture encourages us to reflect on our relationship with them.Will these technologies only be our assistants, or will they one day become our true companions? This questions will continue to keep busy the scientists and artists. Where do you think these technologies should fit into our lives?

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Frequently Asked Questions

The museum entrance fee is 420 TL at the box office for visitors aged 3 and over, students, teachers and visitors over 65 and 490 TL at the box office for other visitors.
You can buy your online ticket for 290 TL with the 41% discount opportunity valid only for online purchases. For school groups of 10 people and above, a discount is applied.

CLICK HERE to buy your online ticket!

MuseumPass is not valid in our museum.

For individual visits, you can make a reservation by choosing the day and time on our ticket page. For school groups, it is necessary to make a reservation by contacting the museum at 0212 509 89 20 before the museum visit. In case of a change in the reservation date or if the trip is canceled, we kindly ask you to call Istanbul Robot Museum and inform the relevant person as soon as possible.

The duration of the museum tour varies depending on the group and typically lasts between 45 minutes and 1 hour. If the tour is combined with an event, the duration may be extended depending on the content of the event.

1 teacher is free for 10 students. In order for the museum visit to be the most productive, we recommend that our teachers visit our museum before coming with their students.

In order to visit the museum, you need to buy a ticket again.

We have museum staff to assist you in our museum. You can also benefit from the mobile audio guidance service by scanning the QR codes in our museum from your phone. For group visits of 10 people or more, our museum staff accompany you and provide guidance support.

The name of Android (Humanoid Robot) ADA, developed by AKINROBOTICS, consists of the initials of "Android Developed by Akınrobotics" and is also inspired by the world’s first female software developer Ada Lovelace.

You can take photos in our museum without using flash and without touching the artifacts.

The founder of the Istanbul Robot Museum is Dr. Özgür AKIN, who is also the founder of Akınsoft and Akınrobotics.
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