Leonardo da Vinci Robot

Designed for a pageant in Milan (which the Duke had put Leonardo in charge
of overseeing), the Robotic Knight consisted of a knight suit filled with gears
and wheels that were connected to an elaborate pulley and cable system.
Through these mechanisms, da Vincis robotic knight was capable of
independent motion - sitting down, standing up, moving its head and lifting
its visor.

First Programmed Loom 1801

The Jacquard loom was the first machine to use punched card. These
punched cards controlled the weaving, enabling an ordinary workman to
produce the most beautiful patterns in a style previously accomplished only
with patience, skill, and hard work.

Automotive Production Lines from 1920's to 1940

Automobile, film, radio, and chemical industries skyrocketed during the

1920s. Mass production made technology affordable to the middle class.
During this time, a class of Americans emerged with surplus money and a
desire to spend more, spurring the demand for consumer goods, including the
automobile.

First Electronic Computing Machine 1940

1943 J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly begin construction of the Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first general-purpose
electronic digital calculator. The ENIAC is considered the first electronic
computer and was used to calculate ballistic firing tables during World War II

Transistor Developed 1947

It consisted of a plastic triangle lightly suspended above a germanium crystal

which itself was sitting on a metal plate attached to a voltage source. A strip
of gold was wrapped around the point of the triangle with a tiny gap cut into
the gold at the precise point it came in contact with the germanium crystal.
The germanium acted as a semiconductor so that a small electric current
entering on one side of the gold strip came out the other side as a
proportionately amplified current.

First Programmable Robot Built 1954

The 4000 pound robotic arm transported die castings from an assembly line
and welded these parts on auto bodies, a dangerous task for workers, who
could be poisoned by exhaust gas or lose a limb if they were not careful.

First Industrial Robot 1960

Unimation is purchased by Condec Corporation and development of Unimate

Robot Systems begins. American Machine and Foundry, later known as AMF
Corporation, markets a robot, called the Versatran, designed by Harry
Johnson and Veljko Milenkovic.

First Microchip 1961

The first microchip was made in 1961, during the Cold War. Over the years
the microchip has gone through many changes and advancements. While
microchips in the 60??s and 70??s were mainly used for scientific purposes
and for the wealthy, today they are found in nearly every item we use.

First Industry Robot on a Production Line 1962 (gm)

The first industrial robot was online in a General Motors automobile factory in
New Jersey. It was Devol and Engelberger's UNIMATE. It performed spot
welding and extracted die castings.

Robotic Arms Used on Viking 1 and 11 Space Probes 1976

Viking 1 was part of a two-part mission to investigate the Red Planet and
search for signs of life. Viking 1 consisted of both an orbiter and a lander
designed to take high-resolution images, and study the Martian surface and
atmosphere.

Microcomputer Control Introduced to Robotics in 1977

The Motoman L10 was introduced. It featured five axes and a maximum
workload of 10 kg, which included the gripper. It weighed 470kg. The
Motoman L10 was the first robot that Yaskawa introduced on the market.
ASEA, a European robot company, offers two sizes of electric powered
industrial robots. Both robots use a microcomputer controller for
programming and operation. Unimation purchases Vicarm Inc. during this
year.