Android (robot)
Humanoid robot or artificial being, often flesh-like.
Last updated
Historically, androids were confined to science fiction, but advances in robotics have enabled their real-world creation.[1]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Robotics, Science Fiction
- First android
- WABOT-1 (1972, Waseda University)
- Notable projects
- Actroid
- DER2
- WD-2
- Nadine
- EDGAR
- EveR-1
Facts from the source article.
How it changed
The earliest known use of the term "Androides" appears in Ephraim Chambers' 1728 Cyclopaedia, referencing an automaton allegedly created by St. Albertus Magnus.[2] Jack Williamson's 1936 story The Cometeers introduced the term into English pulp science fiction.[2] Edmond Hamilton's Captain Future stories (1940–1944) popularized the distinction between mechanical robots and fleshy androids.[2] Waseda University completed WABOT-1 in 1972, the first full-scale humanoid intelligent android, capable of walking and gripping objects.[3]
During the latter part of the 18th century, mechanical "androides" that mimicked human actions were put on display in exhibition venues.[2] The earliest known use of "android" in US patent records dates to 1863, referring to small toy automatons shaped like humans.[2] Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, a French writer, employed "android" in its contemporary meaning within his 1886 novel Tomorrow's Eve, which includes a robot character called Hadaly.[2] Communication in Japanese was achieved through an artificial mouth as part of its conversation system.[4]
What the maker and period sources say
An Engadget article from August 2007 reports that South Korea planned to build "Robot Land," an industrial city for the robotics industry, with exhibition halls and a stadium for robot competitions.[5] The Engadget article states the city would cost around 500 billion won, with 50 billion won from the government.[5] A March 2020 EdSurge News piece refers to the android as "the world's first android teaching assistant".[6] That same article explains that the android's name comes from the destructive robot Maria featured in the 1927 film Metropolis.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Android (robot)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Van Riper, "Science in popular culture: a reference guide", Greenwood Press, 2002, p. 10; Prucher, "Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction", Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 6–7; Brian M. Stableford, "Science fact and science fiction: an encyclopedia", CRC Press, 2006, p. 22–23; Eric G. Wilson, "The melancholy android: on the psychology of sacred machines", SUNY Press, 2006, p. 27–28; McCaw, "Http", [University of Otago?], 2001; Ishiguro, Hiroshi. "Android science.", Cognitive Science Society, Osaka, 2005. Retrieved en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Android (robot)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Brian M. Stableford, "Science fact and science fiction: an encyclopedia", CRC Press, 2006, p. 22–23; OED at "android" citing Ephraim Chambers, Cyclopædia; or, a universal dictionary of arts and sciences. 1728.; "At the Mechanical Theater", London Times, 22 December 1795; "U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Patent# 40891, Toy Automation", Google Patents, June 2024; Brian M. Stableford, "Science fact and science fiction: an encyclopedia", CRC Press, 2006, p. 22–23; Brian M. Stableford, "Science fact and science fiction: an encyclopedia", C en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Android (robot)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zeghloul, "Robotics and Mechatronics: Proceedings of the 4th IFToMM International Symposium on Robotics and Mechatronics", Springer, 21 September 2015; "Humanoid History -WABOT-", www.humanoid.waseda.ac.jp; "Historical Android Projects", androidworld.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Android (robot)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Historical Android Projects", androidworld.com; Robots: From Science Fiction to Technological Revolution, page 130; Duffy, "Handbook of Digital Human Modeling: Research for Applied Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering", CRC Press, 19 April 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "South Korea set to build "Robot Land"", Engadget, 27 August 2007. facts only, no text reused. engadget.com
- "The Education of an Android Teacher – EdSurge News", 9 March 2020. facts only, no text reused. edsurge.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Android (robot) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Japanese inventions
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Android (robot) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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