This time, Rover Boy, equipped with a radar attachment, is charged with surveying and analyzing a dump — and helping to guide Samson on how to remove piping, storage tanks, etc. The removal is a critical first step in turning this old dumping ground into a safe neighborhood park.
They are faced with a challenge when liquid is found. Rover Boy must obtain a sample for testing and, with Samson’s help, avoid falling into the unknown chemicals.
As in the first two digital e-comics in this IEEE-USA series, Rover Boy Gets Steamed Up, and Pipeline Gets Rescued, Roman shows young readers how robots working with engineers can solve real-world problems. Roman was a pioneer in deploying robots in the utility industry. He notes these comic books are based on his real experiences in using robots, simplified and applied to current challenges.
In the forward to the book, Roman makes it clear he is an advocate for robots. He does not buy into science fiction or conspiracies fanning society’s fears about robots. “These anthropomorphic machine portrayals are meant to show how engineers (and their created technologies) can provide service and value to humanity.” He adds that robots “are not to be feared, but understood — and contain vast potential for doing good in our world.”
Rover Boy and Samson Team Up, as well as Pipeline Gets Rescue, and Rover Boy Gets Steamed Up! are available free for IEEE members at the IEEE-USA Shop. Non-members pay $2.99.
Also available at the IEEE-USA shop are books from Harry T. Roman’s five-book series on engineering activities for the classroom (Book 4 is on Robotics), as well as his numerous books on various other engineering topics.
Roman was honored as Inventor of the Year in 2005 by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame, for his application of robots in hazardous environments. He has received 12 U.S. Patents. In 2006, IEEE honored him with an Outstanding Engineer award.
Roman is a prolific writer, and his passion for engineering, and all things STEM-related, shines through in his writing. He has written many books for IEEE-USA, and IEEE has honored him with a Meritorious Achievement Award for developing continuing education products for its members. Roman has worked with schools around New Jersey, bringing the excitement of real-world problem-solving into the classroom.
He has taught management courses at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and The New Jersey Technology Education and Engineering Association named Roman a Distinguished Technology Educator. For the past three years, he has taught graduate courses at Montclair State University, where he co-teaches a course on applying STEM techniques in the classroom.
Roman encourages readers to share these stories with young people — to help encourage their interest in engineering.
