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An ancient Greek engineer named Ctesibus made organs and water clocks
with movable figures. [2]
The concept for his clock was fairly simple; a reservoir
with a precise hole in the bottom would take 24 hours to empty its contents.
The container was marked into 24 divisions. -
Archimedes (287-212BC) did not invent robots, but he did invent many
mechanical systems that are used in robotics today, as well as advancing the
field of mathematics. -
In 1901, between the islands of Crete and Kythera, a diver found the remnants
of what might only be considered a mechanical computer. The device is a
complex mix of gears which most likely calculated the position of the sun,
moon or other celestial bodies.[7] The device dates back 2000 years and is
considered to be of Greek origin and was given the name “The Antikythera -
The Hero of Alexandria designed an odometer to be mounted on a cart and measure distances traveled. Among his other inventions are a wind powered organ, animated statues and the Aeolipile. Although conceived simply as a trinket, the Aeolipile can be considered the forefather of modern steam engines.
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Automatons, human-like figures run by hidden mechanisms, were used to
impress peasant worshippers in church into believing in a higher power.
[These mechanisms] created the illusion of self-motion (moving without
assistance). The clock jack was a mechanical figure that could strike time on a
bell with its axe. This technology was virtually unheard of in the 13th
century. -
Leonardo da Vinci designed what may be the first humanoid robot though it
cannot be confirmed if the design was actually ever produced. The robot was
designed to sit up, wave its arms, and move its head via a flexible neck while
opening and closing its jaw. -
Blaise Pascal invented a calculating machine to help his father with taxes. The device was called the Pascaline [9] and about 50 Pascalines were built. Only a few can be found in museums such as the one on display in the Des Arts et Metiers Museum in Paris.
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A pocket version of the Pascaline was invented by Samuel Morland [9] which worked “without charging the memory, disturbing the mind, or exposing the operations to any uncertainty”
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Jacques de Vaucanson’s most famous creation was undoubtedly "The Duck." This mechanical device could flap its wings, eat, and digest grain. Each wing contained over four hundred moving parts and even today it remains something of a mystery. The original Duck has disappeared.
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In the 18th century, miniature automatons became popular as toys for the very rich. They were made to look and move like humans or small animals.
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Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented a machine (essentially a loom) that could be programmed to create designs that could be printed onto cloth or tissue.
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The first patents were awarded for the construction of a “printed wire” which came into use after World War 2. The concept was to replace radio tube with something less bulky.
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The term "robot" was first used in a play called "R.U.R." or "Rossum's
Universal Robots" by the Czech writer Karel Capek. The plot was simple: man
creates a robot to replace him and then robot kills man! -
Westinghouse creates ELEKTRO a human-like robot that could walk, talk,and smoke [4] ELEKTRO was first unveiled at the 1939 world’s fair.
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Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov first used the word "robotics" to describe the technology of robots and predicted the rise of a powerful robot industry. [2] The term robotics refers to the study and use of robots; it came about in 1941 and was first adopted by Isaac Asimov, a scientist and writer. It was Asimov Who also proposed the following “Laws of Robotics” in his short story Runaround in 1942.
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The first “programmable” mechanism, a paint-sprayer, was designed by Willard Pollard and Harold Roselund for the DeVilbiss Company. (US Patent
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Isaac Asimov wrote the "Three Laws of Robotics”. A zeroth law was later added (law zero below).
Law One: A robot may not injure a human (or humanity), or, through
inaction, allow a human (or humanity) to come to harm.
Law Two: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with a higher order law.
Law Three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law] -
George Devol patented a general purpose playback device for controlling machines using magnetic recordings.
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On November 14, 1947, Walter Brattain had an accident while trying to study how electrons acted on the surface of a semiconductor. This accident brought about the creation of the first transistor.
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W. Grey Walter created his first robots; Elmer and Elsie, also known as the turtle robots. The robots were capable of finding their charging station when their battery power ran low.
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Raymond Goertz designed the first tele-operated articulated arm for the Atomic Energy Commission. This is generally regarded as a major milestone in force feedback (haptic) technology. (US Patent 2679940) [4]
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George Devol designed the first truly programmable robot and called it UNIMATE for "Universal Automation." Later, in 1956, George Devol and Joseph Engelberger formed the world's first robot company “Unimation” which stands for “universal automation”. As a result, Engelberger has been called the 'father of robotics’. Unimation is still in production today, with robots for sale.
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History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first autonomous, artificial satellite was 22.8 inches in diameter and weighed only 183.9 pounds.
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One of the first operational, industrial robots in North America appeared in the early 1960’s in a candy factory in Kitchener, Ontario.