A SHORT HISTORY OF ROBOTS AND THINKING MACHINES
Although robots are considered a 20th-century invention,
their origins lie in the distant past. From the earliest times,
people have created myths about mechanical beings built in
their own likeness with superhuman powers. The ancient
Egyptians and Greeks built mechanical automatons to
perform simple tasks. In modern times, mechanical toys
entertained and ever-more-complicated machines were
invented. The idea of a lifelike mechanical humanoid influenced
both art and science; in 1818, Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein explored what happens when a man-made
monster is given life by a well-meaning scientist. As computer
technology became more advanced, scientists became
more interested in building intelligent machines that could
eventually think for themselves. Today, robots of all kinds
populate our world and are used for varied applications in
space exploration, the military, medicine, industry, research,
police work and, of course, the movies. Here are some highlights
of robot invention in the 20th century.
Since 1984, the U.S. Census has kept track
of the robot population. Today, more than
70,000 robots are in use in the U.S.,
mostly for manufacturing and
industrial purposes.
According to Arthur C. Clarke’s popular
2001: A Space Odyssey, published in
1968, the homicidal computer HAL 9000
“becomes operational January 12, 1997.”
Though this novel was written before computers
became as powerful and popular as they are
today, some of Clarke’s predictions ring true.
Classic sci-fi movies like
The Day the Earth Stood Still
and Forbidden Planet in the
1950s and ’60s show robots
in various roles, from advanced
saviors to malevolent
monsters.
The Mars rover Sojourner (below),
now on its way to Mars, is expected
to land on July 4, 1997; the robot Dante
explores volcanoes; robots
even assist with surgery.
In 1921, the
Czech dramatist
Karel Capek
coins the word
robot in his
play R.U.R.
from a Czech
word meaning
Òcompulsory|
labor.Ó
Beginning in 1977 (and re-released in 1997),
the Star Wars trilogy captures the popular
imagination of several
generations of
moviegoers.
Today, robotics
researchers build machines that
are learning to walk, think, search
for bombs and perform other dangerous
jobs. Some robots are modeled on other
forms of life, especially insects.
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