Robotics
Advanced robotics may have begun in the last century, but the idea and application of robotics has been around for much longer period. Ancient Greeks and Romans created simple robot-like devices and Al-Jazari built some of the Islamic Golden Age’s most incredible clockwork creations. Leonardo da Vinci amazed audiences with his mechanical wonders of the stage, and many others set the stage for the robotics revolution we are now only just beginning.
While many people believe robotics began in the last several decades, history shows the idea of robotics has been around for a much longer period of time. In fact, it was the ancient Greeks and Romans that first developed simple robot-like items to use as toys, tools, and as part of elaborate religious ceremonies. From those beginnings to today's world in which robotics is being used for everything from sending astronauts into space to assisting with complex medical surgeries, the history and evolution of robotics has been nothing short of amazing.
Ancient Greeks, the Middle Ages and the pre-Industrial Age
Archytas of Tarentum was a renowned mathematician and politician, and according to many ancient sources, he may also be the first robotics engineer. Around the year 350 B.C., Archytas is said to have designed and built a wooden pigeon powered by steam that was capable of flapping its wings and flying through the air. No proof of the bird have survived to today, and scholars today debate these claims.
The full extent of Archytas' scientific and philosophical accomplishments have been lost to history, but it is said that he influenced the works of both Plato and Aristotle. A crater on the moon has been named Archytas in his honor, in part for his creation of the robotic pigeon.
The Arabic intellectual Al-Jazari designed and built some of the Islamic Golden Age’s most astounding mechanical creations in the 12th and 13th centuries. He invented a mechanical wine-servant, water-powered clocks and even a hand-washing machine that automatically offered soap and towels to its user.
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As can be seen in his Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices: Kitáb fí ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya
published in 1206, Al-Jazari also designed a water-powered automaton orchestra that could float on a lake and provide music during parties. The contraption included a four-piece band—a harpist, a flautist and two drummers—accompanied by a crew of mechanical oarsman who “rowed” the musicians around the lake. With the device's complexity, some have argued Al-Jazari’s robot band was one of history’s first programmable computers.
In the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was famous for his painting, and inventions but also for the elaborate theatrical devices that were the mechanical precursors to much of today's robotics. One example is da Vinci's Gemanic knight. Examinations of his sketches of the robot reveal, the knight was to be powered by an external mechanical crank and use cables and pullies to sit, stand, turn its head, cross its arms and even lift up its metal visor. While no complete drawings of the knight exist today, evidence suggests that Da Vinci may have actually built a prototype in 1495 while working under the patronage of the Duke of Milan.
In the 1730s, French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson wowed audiences with a series of intricate and eerily lifelike automatons. He created a mechanical flute player that used a pair of artificial “lungs” to perform a repertoire of 12 songs, and later made a pipe-and-drum-wielding robot capable of playing faster than any human.
Vaucanson’s master work was created in 1739, when he unveiled a “Digesting Duck” that could flap its wings, splash in a pool of water and—bizarrely—eat grain from audience members’ hands and defecate pre-loaded pellets onto a silver platter. The dung-depositing duck enchanted 18th century audiences, and it was exhibited in several royal courts in Europe. Vaucanson even won gushing praise from Voltaire, who compared him to Prometheus and wrote, “Without…the duck of Vaucanson, you will have nothing to remind you of the glory of France.”
published in 1206, Al-Jazari also designed a water-powered automaton orchestra that could float on a lake and provide music during parties. The contraption included a four-piece band—a harpist, a flautist and two drummers—accompanied by a crew of mechanical oarsman who “rowed” the musicians around the lake. With the device's complexity, some have argued Al-Jazari’s robot band was one of history’s first programmable computers.In the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was famous for his painting, and inventions but also for the elaborate theatrical devices that were the mechanical precursors to much of today's robotics. One example is da Vinci's Gemanic knight. Examinations of his sketches of the robot reveal, the knight was to be powered by an external mechanical crank and use cables and pullies to sit, stand, turn its head, cross its arms and even lift up its metal visor. While no complete drawings of the knight exist today, evidence suggests that Da Vinci may have actually built a prototype in 1495 while working under the patronage of the Duke of Milan.
In the 1730s, French inventor Jacques de Vaucanson wowed audiences with a series of intricate and eerily lifelike automatons. He created a mechanical flute player that used a pair of artificial “lungs” to perform a repertoire of 12 songs, and later made a pipe-and-drum-wielding robot capable of playing faster than any human.
Vaucanson’s master work was created in 1739, when he unveiled a “Digesting Duck” that could flap its wings, splash in a pool of water and—bizarrely—eat grain from audience members’ hands and defecate pre-loaded pellets onto a silver platter. The dung-depositing duck enchanted 18th century audiences, and it was exhibited in several royal courts in Europe. Vaucanson even won gushing praise from Voltaire, who compared him to Prometheus and wrote, “Without…the duck of Vaucanson, you will have nothing to remind you of the glory of France.”
Eventually Vaucanson developed a human figure playing a flute, which was so popular it toured Europe entertaining such figures as Napoleon Bonaparte.
Twentieth-Century Robotics
While the concept of robotics may have started with the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was not until the twentieth-century that it began to be modified for widespread use.Much of that development has gone into medicine, where robotics technology has been used extensively in medical labs handling biological tissue samples and other fragile items. Utilizing technology developed by a number of companies including Hudson Robotics, Inc. medical labs have robotics technology which uses elaborate software programming to make very precise movements.
Along with their use in medicine, robotics have found extensive use in manufacturing, law enforcement, and space technology. Law enforcement agencies can now use robots to confiscate and dispose of explosive materials, rather than putting humans in danger. Manufacturing companies can now use robotic arms to assemble vehicles and other products, enabling humans to act as operators rather than laborers. And even more exciting, robotics now works to help man extend his reach beyond the universe by being used on the International Space Station to assist with repairs and other functions.
As exciting as these developments have been, robotics researchers believe this is only the beginning. As humans look to the stars, robotics will play a key role in the exploration of planets such as Mars. In addition, military operations will continue to use robotics such as drones to carry out missions deemed too dangerous for humans. As the technology expands to even more areas, there's little doubt robotics will play a huge role in many of this century's most exciting advancements.
What Does The Future Hold?
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