Early centralized computer

The History of Robotics

By jacko69

  • Alan Turing

    Alan Turing
    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’.

  • First Robotic Arm

    First Robotic Arm
    George Devol and Joe Engleberger design the first programmable robot ‘arm’. This later became the first industrial robot, completing dangerous and repetitive tasks on an assembly line at General Motors (1962).

  • Sputnik

    Sputnik
    The Soviet Union launches ‘Sputnik’, the first artificial orbiting satellite. This marks the beginning of the space race.

  • IBM 360

    IBM 360
    The IBM 360 becomes the first computer to be mass-produced.

  • A Space Odyssey

    A Space Odyssey
    Stanley Kubrick makes Arthur C. Clark's, 2001: A Space Odyssey into a movie. It features HAL, an onboard computer that develops a mind of its own.

  • Moon Landing

    Moon Landing
    The U.S. successfully use the latest in computing, robotic and space technology to land Neil Armstrong on the moon.

  • Star Wars

    Star Wars
    The first Star Wars movie is released. George Lucas‘s movie inspires a new generation of researchers through his image of a human future shared with robots such as the now famous R2-D2 and C-3PO.

  • Dante II

    Dante II
    Carnegie Universities eight-legged walking robot, Dante ll, successfully descends into Mt Spur to collect volcanic gas samples.

  • AIBO

    AIBO
    Sony releases the first version of AIBO, a robotic dog with the ability to learn, entertain and communicate with its owner. More advanced versions have followed.

  • Roomba

    Roomba
    After being first introduced in 2002, the popular Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner has sold over 2.5 million units, proving that there is a strong demand for this type of domestic robotic technology.