Contributor: Brian Anthony. Lesson ID: 11582
What do ATLAS, ASIMO, Aibo the Robotic Dog, and Roomba have in common? They are all robots — mechanical workers. Have fun researching the history (and future!) of robots!
R2-D2 and C-3PO were lovable versions. Others, like the Terminator and Megatron, were a little less friendly.
However, robots have not remained mere characters in films or figments of our imagination. They have leaped from the silver screen into real life. Their history goes way back, even into ancient times.
Reflect on the following questions before beginning this lesson.
When people think of the future and the progress of technology, they often think of amazing robot helpers taking care of most of our manual labor.
On the other hand, people may imagine nightmare scenarios in which monster robots have destroyed the earth and hunted human beings down as the enemy.
As you watch the video below to see an example of a robot, write down ideas and information to answer these questions.
Now, reflect on the following questions.
Jules the Robot is one example of recent developments in robotics. Jules could not have been developed, though, without a long line of attempts at inventing automata or mechanical creatures.
In the Got It? section, explore some of the most ambitious attempts in history at developing the ancestors of modern robots.