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320 BCE
320 BCE: Aristotle
The first recorded musings on automation come from Greek philosopher Aristotle: “If every tool, when ordered, or even of its own accord, could do the work that befits it… then there would be no need either of apprentices for the master workers or of slaves for the lords.” -
1495
1495: Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mechanical Knight
We would have to wait almost 2,000 years to take our next steps towards robotic automation. Leonardo Da Vinci’s years of anatomical research allowed him to develop plans for a humanoid automaton resembling a medieval knight. -
1913: Henry Ford’s Assembly Line
While automatons continued to be produced during the 18th and 19th centuries, our next defining moment takes us to the point in time when such progress was made to further commercial potential for the first time. -
1932: Lilliput
the first toy robot was created in Japan, bringing with it the canonical rigid, stocky aesthetic they’ve come to be associated with. -
1966: Shakey
Experimentation and development continues, with new uses and requirements of robotic technology arising. The world’s first mobile robot, Shakey, is created at The Artificial Intelligence Center at Stanford. -
1979: The Stanford Cart
The Stanford Cart considerably improves the stability of movement and comes equipped with a full television camera for vision. -
2000: Honda ASIMO
In 2,000 Honda unveiled the result of decades of research and development on humanoid robotic assistants. The ASIMO offered a 4ft 3 walking and interacting robot with the ability to recognise objects, body language -
2002: Roomba
Robots finally make their way into the domestic space for good with the advent of iRobot’s Roomba. The robotic vacuum cleaner proves the public’s interest in assistive robot technology in the home, and willingness to pay for such progress. -
2012: NASA’s R2
With development on humanoid robots proving successful over the past two decades, NASA sends their R2 Robotnaut to the International Space Station on the final mission of Space Shuttle Discovery. -
2015: Sofia
Sofia the robot has become a global celebrity after being activated in 2015 and making her first public appearance in 2016. The humanoid robot is the first to receive citizenship to a country, and was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first ever Innovation Champion for Asia and the Pacific in 2017.