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The First Programmable Robotic Arm
George Devol and Joseph Engelberger designed the first programmable robotic arm. This later became the first industrial robot, completing dangerous tasks on an assembly line at General Motors. This robotic arm uses electronic servo meters as it's control system. -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched ‘Sputnik’, the first artificial orbiting satellite. This marked the beginning of the space race. Radio control was utilized as the means of navigating the Sputnik satellite. -
The Moon Landing - Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module. Apollo used it's primary guidance, navigation, and control system (PGNCS)and was a self-contained inertial guidance system -
The First Robotic Dog
Sony releases the first version of AIBO, a robotic dog with the ability to learn, entertain and communicate with its owner. The first models had a temperature sensor, infrared sensor, acceleration sensor, pressure sensor and vibration sensor. Later models introduced electrostatic sensors to improve interactions with its owners. Therefore, the first robotic dog was purely a sensor based control system. -
Honda's Humanoid Robot
Honda’s Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO) humanoid robot is introduced. It could walk 1 mph, climb stairs and change its direction after detecting hazards. ASIMO could also recognize faces, gestures and the movements of multiple objects. Additionally, ASIMO had microphones that allowed it to react to voice commands. The Honda Robot used stabilization control to allow it to move, while sensors allowed it to complete various tasks. -
Stanford's Autonomous Car
Stanford Racing Team’s autonomous vehicle “Stanley” wins the 2005 DARPA “Grand Challenge” held near Las Vegas. Driving autonomously on an off-road, 175-mile long desert course, the Volkswagen Touareg R5 finished the challenge in less than 7 hours with no human intervention. This autonomous vehicle extensively uses sensor control systems to travel, identify obstacles and to accelerate/decelerate. -
Roomba Robot
The Roomba robot is an autonomous vacuum cleaner which moves throughout living spaces and picks up debris. Using sensors, it maneuvers around obstacles and avoids crashing. This robot is also quite short in height, so it is able to get into difficult and obscure places. The Roomba Robot ultimately helps the consumer as the owner no longer has to vacuum. It widely uses sensor control systems and remote control to navigate and clean. -
The First Manufactured Autonomous Robot with Arms and Legs
Adept Technologies acquires MobileRobots of Amherst, NH to create the first “arm and legs” technology combination in industrial robotics. It was manufactured as an aid to those who may require company or personal care. It uses a range of sensor control systems to navigate to and from a destination. -
Siri is Introduced
Siri is introduced as a built-in feature with the Apple iPhone 4S smartphone in October. A voice-activated personal assistant, Siri could “understand” natural language requests and also adjust the information it retrieved from the web by learning user tendencies and preferences. Siri uses voice activation control to aid the user. -
First Realistic Humanoid Robot
Hanson Robotics’ most advanced human-like robot, Sophia, is a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry. She is the world’s first robot citizen and has participated in many interviews and conferences. Timeline Editor, Sophisticated Chat System and OpenCog are among the significant control systems in 'Sophia's' ability to talk. Her excellent mobility is a result of many sensors in her legs which allow the control of acceleration and deceleration.