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Greek philosopher Aristotle said:
“If every tool, when ordered, or even of its own accord, could do the work that befits it... then there would be no need either of apprentices for the master workers or of slaves for the lords.” -
Leonardo Da Vinci sketched plans for a humanoid robot.
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Multiple life sized inventions were made including a mechanical duck created by Jacques de Vaucanson that could flap its wing, swallow food and crane its neck.
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Henry Ford installed the first moving conveyer belt-based assembly line in his car factory.
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The first true robot toy was produced in Japan. The ‘Lilliput’ was a wind-up toy which walked. It was made from tinplate and stood just 15cm tall.
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Alan Turing proposes a test to determine if a machine truly has the power to think for itself. To pass the test a machine must be indistinguishable from a human during conversation. It has become known as the ‘Turing Test’.
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The Soviet Union launches ‘Sputnik’, the first artificial orbiting satellite. This marks the beginning of the space race.
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The U.S. successfully use the latest in computing, robotic and space technology to land Neil Armstrong on the moon.
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Carnegie Universities eight-legged walking robot, Dante ll, successfully descends into Mt Spur to collect volcanic gas samples.
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Sony releases the first version of their robotic dog named AIBO. The dog has the ability to learn, entertain and communicate with its owner. More advanced versions have been released.
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Roomba is a robotic vacuum which has sold over 2.5 million units, proving there is a demand for a domestic robot.
