Father of Robotics, Joseph F. Engelberger, Dies At Age 90

An anonymous reader writes: Today the robotics industry is a multi-billion dollar business — but it all started with Joe Engelberger and Georges Devol, who formed Unimation in 1956, the world's first robotics company. Their first Unimate arm was installed at General Motors in 1961, transforming the automotive industry. While the automotive industry is still the largest piece of the robotics pie, the range of commercial uses for robotics is expanding into many of the service areas Engelberger also pioneered decades ago. Engelberger died peacefully in his home yesterday morning, at the age of 90.

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[zAPPzAPP]

-- individual marked for termination...
-- reason: insulting the prophet of the great robotic overlords...

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[jimtheowl]

Even the lamest joke can manage to be somewhat funny in the right context.

Hardly

[nospam007]

The 'Father of Robotics' is Isaak Asimov, he event invented the word 'robotics' which didn't exist before he used it in a robot story.

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[Big Hairy Ian]

Actually I think you'll the true father of Robotics was an engineer called Hero around 30BC who not only invented the programmable robot but also automatic doors and the steam engine.

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[Applehu Akbar]

Wasn't the first programmable automaton, and the target of the original Luddite movement of 1811, the Jacquard loom?

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[Big Hairy Ian]

Preceded by Hero of Alexandria 1800 years earlier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

Mother of robotics

[abies]

Given amount of fathers of robotics, we don't know who mother of robotics was, but she certainly had a lot of fun.

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[Arnold Reinhold]

While the idea of machines that could flexibly manipulate objects in 3-D had been around for a while in science fiction, Joe Engelberger actually made robot arms that worked. And he did it not just in a lab, but in production in the demanding environment of automotive factories. And this was back in 1961, when computers typically filled up a large air-conditioned room. He built a successful company, Unimation, around his inventions, put several generations of robots into production and mentored other pionee

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[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Thanks. Anyone can imagine a mechanical man; the "dancing bear" is actually making it work.

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[frovingslosh]

I too call BS on this clown being the Father of Robotics. However, I would think that Nikola Tesla had more claim to the title, even though he might not have created the word or written children's book about robots.

cause of death...

[Gravis Zero]

robotic hang gliding accident.