1918
Categories: Fiction, Film, Literature – Tags: cyborg, evil, man, misunderstood
Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelley when she was 19. Frankenstein remains the classic reference point in automation, and builds upon the now classic mythology of the automaton turning on its master.
The title of the novel refers to a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who learns how to create life and creates a being in the likeness of man, but larger than average and more powerful.
The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is often considered the first fully realized science fiction novel due to its pointed, if gruesome; focus on playing God by creating life from dead flesh. [Wikipedia]
1968
Categories: Artificial Intelligence, Film – Tags: AI, evil, hollywood
HAL 9000 is a fictional computer in Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey and Stanley Kubricks classic film 2001: A space Odyssey. It has become a central cultural reference in the field of Artificial Intelligence. HAL turns out not to be a helping character, but the villain of the plot.
HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic Computer) is an artificial intelligence, the sentient on-board computer of the spaceship Discovery. HAL is never visualized as a single entity. He is, however, portrayed with a soft voice and a conversational manner.
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the astronauts consider disconnecting HAL’s cognitive circuits when he appears to be mistaken in reporting a fault. Faced with the prospect of disconnection, HAL decides to kill the astronauts in order to protect and continue “his” real programmed directives.
1961
Category: Industrial – Tags: arm, digital, first, Industrial
Unimate is considered the first industrial robot. It was put to worked on a General Motors assembly line in 1961. It was created by George Devol in the 1950s using his original patents. Devol, together with Joseph Engelberger started Unimation, the world’s first robot manufacturing company.
The machine undertook the job of transporting die castings from an assembly line and welding these parts on auto bodies–a dangerous task for workers, who might be poisoned by exhaust gas or lose a limb if they were not careful.
The original Unimate consisted of a large computer-like box, joined to another box and was connected to an arm, with systematic tasks stored in a drum memory. Modern versions feature up to six degrees of freedom and are designed for high speed handling of car parts, but can be programmed for other tasks.
1921
Categories: Fiction, Literature – Tags: artificial man, future, robot
In 1921 Karel Čapek coined the word robot in his science fiction play called R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). The word “robot” comes from the word robota meaning literally serf labor, and, figuratively, “drudgery” or “hard work” in Czech, Slovak and Polish.
The Robots described in the play are not robots in the modern sense. Rossum’s robots are biological creations engineered in the same fashion as Frankenstein’s creature as described by Mary Shelley. Čapek’s Robots are biological machines, but they are still assembled, as opposed to grown or born.
In the play the robots can think for themselves and perform manual labor. Although they seem happy to work for humans, that changes and leads to the end of the human race due to a hostile robot rebellion.
In 1921 Karel Čapek coined the word robot in his science fiction play called R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). The word “robot” comes from the word robota meaning literally serf labor, and, figuratively, “drudgery” or “hard work” in Czech, Slovak and Polish.
The Robots described in the play are not robots in the modern sense. Rossum’s robots are biological creations engineered in the same fashion as Frankenstein’s creature as described by Mary Shelley. Čapek’s Robots are biological machines, but they are still assembled, as opposed to grown or born.
In the play the robots can think for themselves and perform manual labor. Although they seem happy to work for humans, that changes and leads to the end of the human race due to a hostile robot rebellion.
1999
Categories: Art, Fiction, Film – Tags: love, music
Artist and director Chris Cunningham made this beautiful video in 1999. The video shows an intimate scene where the two robot versions of Björk kiss and touch passionately while what looks to be maintenance work is being done in their backs. The video has won several awards and has also been shown in art galleries around the world.
1987
Categories: Art, Performance Art – Tag: useless
Originally created in 1987 The Help Less robot is an interactive work that unlike most robots is essentially passive. It rotates on a large platform and it can do so only by enlisting the help of human beings, using its electronic voice.
The Helpless Robot is roughly the size of a human and is created to be an artificial personality that responds to the behavior of humans by using its electronic voice which speaks a number phrases. Which phrase is delivered is depends on its present and past experience of “emotions” ranging from boredom, frustration, arrogance, and overstimulation.
This is a classic work exploring the notion of the robot as a helpless, nothing-producing, useless machine that needs human attention. In many respects the exact opposite of what we normally think of a robot as being.
1995
Categories: Agriculture, Art – Tags: interactive, plant, telepresence, web
This was a two meters in diameter large robot tended garden, that was remote controlled via the world wide web by users all over the world. The project ran for 9 years until it was retired i 2004.
The Telegarden was perhaps the first robotic artworks using multiple user remote controlling via the Internet. The ambition was to create and cultivate a real garden with a robot acting as telepresence for the online users.
The participants grew different plants like marigolds, peppers, and petunias. The online interface also allowed for communication between the participants via an online chat system to plan for co-operation.
The Telegarden is one of not so many robotic artworks that actually employ robots as a neutral helper, not drawing attention to itself other that the spectacular precision and possibilities that the robotics and telepresence presents.
1983
Categories: Agriculture, Art – Tags: interactive, plant
James Seawright has been creating artworks incorporating robotics since the mid 60’ties. This work consists of five robot flowers that interact with their surroundings according to parameters in the environment such as temperature and humidity. The artificial flowers were controlled by custom built microprocessors. The work also featured a push-buttons interface the allowed people interact directly with the flowers.
This is an early example of robotic art imitating not human or animal characteristics, but plants. The ambition of creating ‘artificial life’ is intact, but in this case it is plant life that is created. The works perhaps suggest a peaceful integration of plant and machine.
2006
Categories: Educational, Science, Toy – Tag: robot
LEGO Mindstorms is a line of Lego sets combining programmable bricks with electric motors, sensors, Lego bricks, and Lego Technic pieces (such as gears, axles, and beams). Mindstorms originated from the programmable sensor blocks used in the line of educational toys. The first retail version of Lego Mindstorms was released in 1998 and marketed commercially as the Robotics Invention System (RIS). The current version was released in 2006 as Lego Mindstorms NXT.
2008
Categories: Fiction, Film, Science – Tags: pixar, robot, space
WALL-E is a 2008 computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. It follows the story of a robot named WALL-E who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future. He eventually falls in love with another robot named EVE, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity. (Wikipedia)
