Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: eck001@email.mot.com (Chris Kerlin)
Subject: Re: Father of Robotics
Organization: Motorola Land Mobile
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 1994 11:08:10 -0500
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In article <NIVEK.94Feb8152447@scythe.cmu.edu>, nivek@cmu.edu (Kevin
Dowling) wrote:

> 
> Karl Capek (pronouced CHOP-ek) first invented the term 'robot' in his
> play R.U.R. to mean mechanical men. (ca. 1920)
> 

Capek's play includes both Robots and Robotesses. They were not mechanical
per se but fabricated, "by chemical synthesis to imitate the living matter
known as protoplasm ..." So they were more like people, but as "anyone who
has looked into human anatomy will have seen at once that man is too
complicated, and that a good engineer could make him more simple....
Mechanically they are more perfect than we are, they have enormously
developed intelligence, but they have no soul." 

---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------
Chris Kerlin
Motorola Land Mobile Products            Phone:  305-475-3707
Advanced Manufacturing Technology        Fax:    305-475-5584
8000 W Sunrise Blvd                      Email:  ECK001@email.mot.com
Fort Lauderdale, FL  33322
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Isaac Asimov coined the term 'robotics' to mean the study and design
> of robots (Ca. 1940's)
> 
> There was tremendous interest in robots through the 20s 30s and 40s in
> popular publications. Hugo Gernsback's (for whom the SF award the
> 'hugo' is named) published many magazines with robot articles in this
> time. Lots of radio controlled robots!
> 
> George Devol and Joe Engleberger respectively patented and founded
> Unimation for mfg and selling industrial robots. (Ca 60's)
> As a result, Engleberger has been called the 'father of robotics'
> 
> Marvin Minsky is probably the 'father' of robotics research.
> First blocks world, hand-eye projects etc... (ca. 60's)
> 
> First digital computer controlled mobile robots - probably Shakey at
> SRI in the mid-60's.
> 
> 					nivek
> 
> aka:    Kevin Dowling         Project Scientist
> tel: 	412.268.8830          Carnegie Mellon University
> fax:	412.682.1793          The Robotics Institute
> net:	<nivek@cmu.edu>       5000 Forbes Avenue
>                               Pittsburgh, PA 15213
