When we think of robots, we normally think of electronic machines in the shape of humans – like cyborgs or androids – or other computerized autonomous devices like the Roomba. But the definition of the word ‘Robot’ covers much more than that.
The definition of Robot is any machine or mechanical device that operates automatically or semi-automatically. This means that what is considered “a robot” need not be limited to being powered by electricity. Though, over the last century, we’ve seen an explosion in devices that are powered by some form of electricity. By far, the most prevalent usage of modern robots is in the workplace on production lines. They are used specifically to make production more efficient for the company, cheaper for the consumer and safer for the employees. But where did the word come from?
Origin Of The Word “Robot”
old robotThe word “Robot” was coined in 1920 by Karel Capek and his brother, Josef Capek. Karel was a Czech writer looking for a word to call the artificial creatures in his play. Unhappy with the word laboři (or ‘workers’ in Latin), his brother suggested roboti from the Latin word robota (meaning ‘serf labor’).
In 1944, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov decided to expand on that and coined the word “Robotics” for use in his short story ‘Runaround‘. It later became a recurring theme in many of his books which helped to spur popularity and increase usage of the word.