THE FIRST PODCAST This is the history of the future.
Robots conjure up thoughts of distant technological landscapes and even apocalyptic scenarios, but the truth is, robots are a very old creation, tracing back to the ancient world.
We can thank science fiction writers for inventing new serious ideas about robots, automatons previously relegated as mere amusement. But they remained an unimaginable concept — rendered in a corny, campy fashion in the 1940s and 50s — until the development of computing and cybernetics.
In 1961 the first industrial robot named Unimate not only changed the automobile industry, but it opened the door for the vast, realistic possibilities of robotics in our everyday lives.
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09Â UNIMATE AND THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS
A scene from Karel Capek’s 1921 play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
Electro the Robot with his companion Sparko the Dog.
George Devol and Joseph Engelberger, enjoying a cocktail served by their invention.
This is Unimate, the robot which changed automation.
Audio from these clips was featured on this week’s show:
And other videos relating to this topic that you might enjoy:
Another promotional video about Unimate:
The introduction of Robbie the Robot, a popular character in the 1950s and 60s:
Another goofy robot from the 1950s
Robots can help you do household chores!
The most famous robots from television are probably the Daleks from Dr. Who.