Background

Background of Robotics

Definition of the Technology:
When we think of technology we think of cellular phones, televisions, computers and robots. Although technology is considered a broad concept, technology can be defined as the use of science to develop new products and services. As time evolves we will continue to develop technological innovations that will change the way we interact with one another as well as the way we live our lives. Although technology has been use for destructive purposes, such as war and nuclear weapons it is necessary in order to advance as a society. The definition of technology is "the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area; a capability given by the parctical application of knowledge" (Merriam-Webster’s, n.d). Robotics is defined as the "technology dealing with the design, construction, and operation of robotics in automation" (Merrima-Webster's, n.d).

‍Timeline of Robotics: ‍
~ 270BC

Although many people have their own opinion on how the development of robotic technology originated, the first sign of robotics can be traced back all the way back to ancient Greek (Bellis). A Greek inventor named Ctesibius was a mathematician that was very well known for his inventions. Ctesibius’s greatest invents were the hydraulis, a water organ which is today considered the pipe organ, and also invented the clessydra, a water clock so that provided accurate time. These inventions were the first sign of movable figures during 270 BC ("Ctesibius of alexandria," 2012).

~ 1818

The second sign of robotics can trace back to the early 1800s when Mary Shelly first wrote the novel Frankenstein (Bellis). Mary Shelly was an English novelist that was well known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein is about an experiment that brings to life a manlike monster. Most people believe that Mary Shelly inspiration of Frankenstein came from a friendly competition amongst her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelly, and his friends George Gordon and Lord Byron’s in Switzerland to see how could write the best scariest story. Mary Shelly wrote the story Frankenstein from this competition. At the time Mary Shelly was reading Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Milton’s Paradise Lost while she wrote Frankenstein, so it may have heavily influenced her writing ("About the play,"). Others believe that like most inspired authors her inspiration came from personal tragedies. In her case people believe the death of one of her children inspired her to write Frankenstein primarily because she had been in deep depression since her child died, and often had dreams about her child coming back to life. Despite how Mary Shelly got her inspiration this was still an important phenomenon in history of robotics because it brought up the concept of artificial life form ("Life with shelly,").

~ 1921

About a century later from the Frankenstein phenomenon, the term “robot” was first introduced in a science fiction play called Rossum’s Universal Robots that was produced by Karel Capek in 1921(Bellis). Karel Capek was a Czech writer of the 20th century that mostly wrote science fiction. The play starts off in a factory where artificial people called “robots” are made. These artificial people were androids (robot designed to look and act like human) that were mistaken for humans since they were able to think for themselves and resembled a human. This was an important event for robotics technology because these artificial life forms were now considered robots (Jerz, 2002). .

~ 1941

The true term “robotics” was then used in 1941 by a science fiction writer named Isaac Asimov. Isaac Asimov used the term to describe the technology of robots in the science fiction short story Runaround. Isaac Asimov was an American author and a biochemistry professor at Boston University. He was well known for his science fiction book. Runaround is the science fiction short story where Isaac first exposed the Three Laws of Robotics. The first law of the Three Laws of Robotics claims, “A robot may not injure a human, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” The second law claims,”A robot must obey the orders it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.” The third law claims, “A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.” This event holds significance to the history of robotics technology because Oxford English Dictionary credits Isaac Asimov for introducing the word “robotic” (Bellis).

Context in which the Technology Was Developed (Pt 1):
Early robotics were constructed for public relations purposes. As presented to the world, robots by our standards reflect the culture and concerns of the eras in which they were developed. During World War II, the Soviet Union designed teletanks such as Soviet TT-26 which helped aid in the war. These tanks were designed to help soliders aviod man on man contact and engage the enemy by surprise. Teletanks are unmanned radio controlled robotic tanks, which could be controlled from over 500 to 1500 meters. The classified military secret was able to reach a safer distance to the enemy than a foot soldier could. These tanks were armed with chemical weapons, flame throwers, machine guns and other weapons (Allonrobots, 2009).

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German Nazi’s developed a robot controlled by a remote control. Goliath was used to clear mines and bunkers; however, its primary design was to be a dispensable mobile bomb. The Goliath reached speeds from 5 to 12 miles per hour; earlier models were battery operated, where later versions were gasoline powered. Unlike the TT-26, Goliath was connected by a cable that only reached 2,000 feet; which proved to be a major imperfection. Once the enemy discovered the cable, they were able to sever the line disabling the machine (Manning, 2008).

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‍Context in which the Technology Was Developed (Pt 2): ‍
Although there were many great robotics inventions during the 21 century, one that stood out far more than most was PUMA (Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm). PUMA is an industrial robotic arm that was developed by Victor Scheinman. This industrial robotic arm has 6 degrees of freedom, which allowed it to move in varies directions. This system is composed by the robotic trunk, shoulder, upper arm, forearm, wrist, and the control computer. Controlled by the DC servomotor this system can be taught a variety of tasks so it works towards the individuals’ liking. ("The industrial robot,")

Despite of the different technological changes occurring during the 1960s and 70s, during this time modern industrial robot arms made its first appearance. The first industrial robot ever made called the Unimate was developed by George Devol in 1961. This technological development lead to the creation of the Rancho Arm in 1962 by John McCarthy. Very similar to the PUMA arm, the Rancho arm was the first robotics arm developed. It was used to help handicapped patients at the Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, California. This event had a large impact on Victor Scheinman’s development of the PUMA. Victor's did not built this alone though, Sanford University was willing to provide him with a loan to fund his production. Since the PUMA was initially design to assemble a Ford Model T Water Pump, General Motors supported Scheinman in selling the design to Unimation.("Robot arms,")



‍Transition statement: ‍ Now that we know more about the definition, timeline, and background context of robotic technology we will now move on to the issues and impacts that robotics has given us.