Industrial Robot History

Industrial Robot History

1. Robotic Ideas Began Centuries Ago

   • The idea of an automatic device to help serve or work for humans has long been in existence as it is documented in historic tales, such as ideas like automatically opening doors.
     • Around the 9th century, hundreds of preserved texts and ideas were accumulated and came together to create a book called "The Science of Ingenious Mechanisms."

2. Introduction to Industrial Automation

   • Fast forward hundreds of years to the industrial revolution. This brought with it an increasing demand for production and consequently, motivation for automation.
     • The invention of the Numerically Controlled (NC) machines, the popularity of the computer (1950), and the integrated circuit (1970s) all helped to make it possible to begin to develop the very first, yet simple, industrial robot.

3. Industrial Robots are Born

   • George Charles Devol, often called the father of robotics, invented the first industrial robot, the Unimate, in 1954. A few years later, Devol and entrepreneur Joseph F. Engelberger were discussing interested at a part and their company, Unimation, was born.
     • It wasn't until recently that the robotics industry has regained mid-1980 revenue levels. The American robotics market disappeared as Japanese and European bought up companies.