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Su Song, a chinese inventor, created a clock powered by water that used mechanical figurines to chime the hours.
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Abū al-'Iz Ibn Ismā'īl ibn al-Razāz al-Jazarī created the castle clock. It functioned as a water-powered astronomical clock, which has been called the earliest programmable analog computer.
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Automated carillons, or music boxes, begin to appear in the Netherlands.
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Leonardo Da Vinci creates a robot that mimics an armored knight. It was named "Leonardo's Robot" and its internal mechanisms function like that of a real person.
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Gianello Torriano created a lady robot who played the mandolin. This served as easy entertainment for those in that era.
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Jacques de Vaucanson created a mechanical duck. It was able to move its neck, flap its wings, and even swallow food.
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Pierre Jaquet-Droz, a swiss watchmaker, teamed up with his son to create three robotic dolls. One can write, the other plays music, and the third one draws pictures.
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Joseph Jacquard invents a textile machine called a programmable loom. It is operated by punch cards.
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Nikola Tesla created the first remote control vehicles. He is also known for his Tesla Coils, the radio and induction motors.
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Henry Ford created the world's first assembly line. It used a conveyor belt and could assemble a Model T in 93 minutes.
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The first true robot toy was produced in Japan. The ‘Lilliput’ was a wind-up toy which walked. It was made from tinplate and stood just 15cm tall.
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Westinghouse unveiled two robot prototypes: a humanoid named Elektro and a dog named Sparko. Sparko was able to sit up and bark. That is so cool.
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Heron of Alexandria was the earliest documented automata maker. He was a Greek mathemetician, physicist and engineer.
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Honda created perhaps the best humanoid robot in the histroy of the world. It serves to fulfill the needs of average humans, especially those with disabilities
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Lego develops Robotics Invention System 1.0. It is named MINDSTORMS after the work of Seymour Papert in the 1980's.
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Sony created the Sony Dream Robot (SDR). It could recognize 10 different faces, express emotions, and walk on multiple surfaces.
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Hero of Alexandria detailed several automata that were used in theater and for religious purposes. He also designed automata that opened the gates on hydraulic principles.
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MD Robotics in Canada released the Space Station Remote Manipulator System. It was successfully launched and worked to assemble the International Space Station.
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The FDA cleared the CyberKnife for production in August. It was created to treat tumors anywhere in the body
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The company Epsom created smallest known robot, standing 7cm high and weighing just 10 grams. The robot helicopter is intended to be used as a ‘flying camera’ during natural disasters.
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The korean Instititute of Science and Technology (KIST) created HUBO. It is linked to a comuter wirelessly that does all the thinking for the robot.