Ancient Times 19th Century: The Age of Automata
300 BCE – Ctesibius of Alexandria – Egypt (Greek World)
Designed water-powered automata, such as clocks and moving figures using air and hydraulic pressure.
1495 Leonardo da Vinci – Italy
Sketched a humanoid mechanical knight that could move its arms, sit, and move its jaw. A visionary design far ahead of its time.
1738 Jacques de Vaucanson – France
Created lifelike automata, including The Flute Player and The Digesting Duck, which mimicked real biological functions.
1801 Joseph Marie Jacquard – France
Invented the Jacquard loom, using punch cards to automate weaving patterns — a precursor to computer programming.
20th Century – The Birth of Modern Robotics
1921 Karel Čapek – Czechoslovakia
Coined the word "robot" in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), referring to artificial workers made from synthetic matter.
1942 Isaac Asimov – United States
Introduced the Three Laws of Robotics, setting ethical guidelines for robots in science fiction.
1954 George Devol – United States
Patented the first programmable industrial robot, which would later become Unimate.
1961 Unimation (Devol & Engelberger) – United States
Deployed Unimate at a General Motors factory — the first industrial robot in a production line.
1969 Stanford Research Institute – United States
Built Shakey, the first mobile robot capable of reasoning and decision-making, integrating sensors and AI.
1970s / 1980s Industrial and Humanoid Robotics Rise
1973 KUKA – Germany
Introduced Famulus, the first robot with six electromechanically driven axes, enabling complex tasks.
1979 Waseda University – Japan
Created WABOT-1, the first full-scale humanoid robot, capable of limb movement, vision, and basic communication.
1986 Honda – Japan
Launched a long-term project to develop humanoid robots, leading to breakthroughs in bipedal locomotion.
1990s / 2000s Service, Domestic & Entertainment Robots
1996 Honda – Japan
Revealed P2, a bipedal humanoid robot, a direct predecessor to ASIMO.
1999 Sony – Japan
Released AIBO, a robotic pet dog, pioneering consumer robotics for entertainment.
2000 Honda – Japan
Showcased ASIMO, one of the most advanced humanoid robots of its time — capable of walking, running, recognizing voices and faces.
2002 iRobot – United States
Launched Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner, marking the rise of consumer home robotics.
2010s AI Integration & Advanced Robotics
2012 Boston Dynamics – United States
Debuted Atlas, a highly agile humanoid robot. Also known for BigDog and Spot, with advanced mobility.
2015 SoftBank Robotics – Japan
Released Pepper, an emotionally intelligent humanoid robot for retail and customer service.
2016 Hanson Robotics – Hong Kong
Unveiled Sophia, a lifelike humanoid robot capable of conversation and facial expressions. Granted honorary citizenship by Saudi Arabia.
2017 Boston Dynamics – United States
Showcased remarkable progress with SpotMini and Atlas, performing complex movements like parkour and backflips.
2020 / 2025 – The Age of Intelligent Humanoids
2020 Tesla / Elon Musk – United States
Announced Tesla Bot (Optimus), a humanoid robot intended to perform repetitive or dangerous tasks.
2022 Boston Dynamics – United States
Commercially released Spot, used in inspections, surveillance, and industrial monitoring.
2023 Figure AI – United States
Introduced Figure 01, a general-purpose humanoid robot designed for real-world labor using AI for reasoning and perception.
2024 Agility Robotics – United States
Launched Digit, a bipedal robot tailored for warehouse and logistics tasks. Amazon began pilot programs.
2024 Sanctuary AI – Canada
Presented Phoenix, a humanoid robot integrating generative AI to perform human-like tasks with real-world learning capabilities.
2025 and Beyond The Future of Robotics
Humanoids with generative AI (like GPT) are being developed to work alongside humans.
Expansion of collaborative robots (cobots) in industries.
Robotics used in healthcare, elderly care, education, and public safety.
Growing focus on robot ethics and regulatory frameworks.
Advances in energy efficiency, biomechanics, and real-time learning.
