There’s countless evidence that the appearance of mechanized human-like figures dates back to ancient Greece. And cyborgs have been depicted in stories and novels since the early 19th century. But the real beginnings of the robotic revolution occurred in the 1950s, according to innovator and inventor Peter Zieve.
Just after World War II in 1948, British inventor William Grey created robots Elmer and Elsie, which looked more tortoise-like than human but did display lifelike behavior. They were programmed to even search for charging stations as soon as their power starts to get depleted.
But it was George Devol who came up with the first digitally operated robot, today considered the basis of modern robotics history. Devol named the programmable robot Unimate, and by 1956 the inventor together with his partner Joseph Engelberger formed the first robot company in the world. In 1961, Unimate became the first functional industrial robot as it began operating in a New Jersey-based automobile factory run by General Motors.
As computer technology started to gain ground, it merged with that of robotics and laid the foundation for what we now know as artificial intelligence. In the early 1960s, the first computer-run artificial robotic arm was created. Named the Rancho Arm, it was invented to help physically disabled people. Come 1970, the first mobile, AI-controlled robot called Shakey came out.
Today, innovations in AI, machine learning, and the Internet of Things have brought robotics to new heights. Robots are widely used in various industries, from manufacturing and earth and space exploration to surgery and laboratory research, adds Peter Zieve.
Inventor and innovator Peter Zieve has 23 patents credited to his name. He is the founder and CEO of aerospace automation company Electroimpact, Inc. For more on Mr. Zieve and his work, check out this site.
Peter Zieve 