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Robotics
Who
Pioneered Robotics?
A Historical Timeline About
Robotics
by Mary Bellis
We have evidence that
mechanized human-like figures date back to ancient times to Greece.
The concept of an artificial
man is found in works of fiction since the early 19th century. Despite
these initial thoughts and representations, the dawn of the robotic
revolution began in earnest in the 1950s.
George Devol invented the
first digitally operated and programmable robot in 1954. This ultimately
laid the foundation of the modern robotics industry.
Earliest History
Around 270 B.C. an ancient
Greek engineer named Ctesibius made water clocks with
automatons or loose figures.
Greek
mathematician Archytas of Tarentum postulated a mechanical bird he
called "The Pigeon" which was propelled by steam.
Hero of Alexandria (10–70
AD) made numerous innovations in the field of automata, including one that
allegedly could speak.
In ancient China, an
account about an automaton is found in the text, written in the 3rd century BC,
in which King Mu of Zhou is presented with a life-size, human-shaped
mechanical figure by Yan Shi, an "artificer."
Robotics Theory and Science Fiction
Writers and visionaries
envisioned a world including robots in daily life.
In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote
"Frankenstein," which was about a frightening artificial lifeform
come to life by a mad, but brilliant scientist, Dr. Frankenstein.
Then, 100 years later Czech
writer Karel Capek coined the term robot, in his 1921 play called
"R.U.R." or "Rossum's Universal Robots." The plot was
simple and terrifying; the man makes a robot then robot kills a man.
In 1927, Fritz Lang's
"Metropolis" was released.
The Maschinenmensch ("machine-human"), a humanoid
robot, was the first robot ever to be depicted on film.
Science fiction writer and
futurist Isaac Asimov first used the word "robotics" in 1941 to describe
the technology of robots and predicted the rise of a powerful robot industry.
Asimov wrote
"Runaround," a story about robots which contained the "Three Laws of Robotics,"
which centered around Artificial Intelligence ethics questions.
Norbert Wiener published
"Cybernetics," in 1948, which formed the basis of practical robotics,
the principles of cybernetics based on artificial intelligence research.
First Robots Emerge
British robotics
pioneer William Grey Walter invented
robots Elmer and Elsie that mimic lifelike behavior using elementary
electronics in 1948. They were tortoise-like robots that were programmed to
find their charging stations once they started running low on power.
In 1954 George Devol invented
the first digitally operated and a programmable robot called the Unimate.
In 1956, Devol and his
partner Joseph Engelberger formed the world's first robot company.
In 1961, the first industrial
robot, Unimate, went online in a General Motors automobile factory in New
Jersey.
Timeline of Computerized Robotics
With the rise of the computer
industry, the technology of computers and robotics came together to form
artificial intelligence; robots that could learn.
The timeline of those
developments follows:
Year
|
Robotics Innovation
|
1959
|
Computer-assisted
manufacturing was demonstrated at the Servomechanisms Lab at MIT
|
1963
|
The first
computer-controlled artificial robotic arm was designed. The "Rancho
Arm" was created for physically disabled people. It had six joints that
gave it the flexibility of a human arm.
|
1965
|
The Dendral
system automated the decision-making process and problem-solving behavior of
organic chemists. It used artificial intelligence for identifying unknown
organic molecules, by analyzing their mass spectra and using its knowledge of
chemistry.
|
1968
|
The octopus-like
Tentacle Arm was developed by Marvin Minsky. The arm was computer controlled,
and its 12 joints were powered by hydraulics.
|
1969
|
The Stanford Arm
was the first electrically powered,
computer-controlled robot arm designed by mechanical engineering student
Victor Scheinman.
|
1970
|
Shakey was
introduced as the first mobile robot controlled by artificial intelligence.
It was produced by SRI International.
|
1974
|
The Silver Arm,
another robotic arm, was designed to perform small-parts assembly using
feedback from touch and pressure sensors.
|
1979
|
The Standford
Cart crossed a chair-filled room without human assistance. The cart had a tv
camera mounted on a rail which took pictures from multiple angles and relayed
them to a computer. The computer analyzed the distance between the cart and
the obstacles.
|
Modern Robotics
Commercial and industrial
robots are now in widespread use performing jobs more cheaply or with greater
accuracy and reliability than humans. Robots are used for jobs which are too
dirty, dangerous or dull to be suitable for humans.
Robots are widely used in
manufacturing, assembly and packing, transport, earth and space exploration,
surgery, weaponry, laboratory research and mass production of consumer and
industrial goods.
Mary Bellis
· New York-based film producer and director
· Singled out by Forbes magazine for her writing on
inventors.
· Known in art and independent film circles by the
name CalmX
· Creator of computer-generated art
Experience
Mary Bellis was a former writer for ThoughtCo, where she covered
inventors for 18 years. She was a freelance writer, film producer, and
director. In addition, Forbes Best of the Web credited her for
creating the number one online destination for information about inventors and
inventions. Her writing has been reprinted and referenced in numerous
educational books and articles. She was known for her short independent
films and documentaries, including one on Alexander Graham Bell. She specialized
in making and exhibiting computer-generated art, while working as an animator,
journalist and an independent video game developer. She died on March 28,
2015.
Education
Mary Bellis held a Master of Fine Arts in film and animation from
the San Francisco Art Institute.
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Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-of-robots-1992363
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