“No, Really… Robots and JavaScript?!” by Raquel Vélez

NodeBots have been around for several years now, but with every presentation, there is always someone who asks, “But… JavaScript?! Why on earth would you make robots with JavaScript?”

It’s a fair question, and one worthy of more than a hand-wavy answer about how it’s cool… or something.

In this talk, let’s discuss why, of all the languages on the planet, JavaScript is the perfect starting point for a future of robotics.

As a roboticist-turned-web-developer, I will provide some deep insights not only into the world of robotics, but also into JavaScript and its server-side cousin, Node.js. We’ll talk about what JavaScript-enabled robots can already do, what they can’t do yet, and what they might be able to do with a bit of elbow grease.

And, if the demo deities are with us, we may even have a robot assistant on hand.

Raquel Vélez
NPM, INC.
@rockbot

Raquel Vélez is a Senior Software Developer at npm, Inc. in Oakland, CA. She has previously worked at institutions such as Caltech, NASA JPL, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and various universities in Europe. In her off time, you can find her baking, teaching NodeBots not to fall off of tables, and speaking. Also, hanging out with her hilarious husband and two cats dressed in dog suits.

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