Theme timeline

A history of robotics

Credit: Bert van Dijk/Getty images.

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Even though modern robots are a 20th-century creation, humans have been trying to use mechanical devices to do their labor for a lot longer. The first automata date back 5,000 years, to ancient Egypt. The major milestones in the journey of the robotics theme are set out in the timeline below. 

The robotics story

3,000 BC

Human figurines were built into water clocks to automatically strike the hour bell.

400 BC

Mathematician Archytas of Tarentum invented a wooden pigeon that could fly.

1206

Al-Jazari published a book about the building and use of automata.

1738

Jacques de Vaucanson, a French artist and inventor, built a flute-playing robot.

1801

The Jacquard loom was invented to simplify the process of manufacturing textiles.

1920

The term ‘robot’ was first used in a play by Czech author Karel Capek.

1939

Westinghouse unveiled Elektro, a robot that could walk and respond to speech (and smoke cigarettes).

1942

Isaac Asimov published his Three Laws of Robotics in the short story Runaround.

1948

Work began on the Elmer and Elsie robots, which were programmed to think the way biological brains do.

1950

Alan Turing proposed a test to determine whether or not a machine has gained the power to think for itself.

1951

Ray Goertz patented a teleoperation arm he developed for handling nuclear materials.

1961

Unimate, the first mass-produced industrial robots, started working on General Motors' assembly lines.

1961

MIT researcher Heinrich Ernst developed the MH-1, a computer-operated mechanical hand.

1963

The first computer-controlled robotic arm was designed as a tool for the disabled.

1970

SRI International's Shakey became the first mobile robot controlled by AI (using a radio link).

1973

The Cincinnati Milacron T3 was released, the first commercial industrial robot controlled by a microcomputer.

1979

The Stanford Cart successfully crossed a room, navigating around obstacles using its own sensors.

1984

Wabot 2, a humanoid robot capable of playing the keyboard and reading musical scores, was introduced.

1985

The PUMA 560 robotic surgical arm was used in the first documented robot-assisted surgical procedure.

1995

General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator drone entered service

1996

Honda launched the P2 humanoid robot.

1999

Sony displayed Aibo, the first robotic dog.

1999

Probotics released Cye, a personal robot that could perform a variety of household chores

2000

Honda unveiled its Asimo advanced humanoid robot—the first robot to walk on two legs.

2002

iRobot began selling the first Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners.

2005

Boston Dynamics unveiled Big Dog, a dynamically stable quadruped robot.

2011

Robonaut 2, a human-like robotic assistant, was launched into space on the shuttle Discovery.

2012

Rethink Robotics unveiled Baxter, its collaborative robot designed to work alongside humans.

2013

Japan sent the Kirobo robot into space to work alongside astronauts on the International Space Station.

2016

Boston Dynamics announced the latest version of its running and jumping rescue robot, Atlas.

2016

Hanson Robotics creates Sophia, a humanoid robot that could mimic human interactions.

2020

The University of California at Berkeley became the first to use robots to help with COVID-19 testing.

2021

Samsung announced Bot Handy, a single-armed collaborative assistant for the home, as a concept product.

2022

The robotics industry was worth $63 billion.

2022

Engineered Arts unveiled the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, Ameca.

2030

The robotics industry is expected to be worth $218 billion.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Thematic Intelligence uses proprietary data, research, and analysis to provide a forward-looking perspective on the key themes that will shape the future of the world’s largest industries and the organisations within them.