Key Milestones
1921
- The term “Robot” first appeared in the Czech playwright Karel Capek’s science fiction play “R.U.R.”
1959
- The world’s first industrial robot “Unimate” was born
- Weighed two tons, using magnetic drum program control
- Repeat positioning accuracy: 0.001 inches
1961
- Unimate was deployed at General Motors factory
- Responsible for handling and stacking hot castings
1962
- AMF company launched cylindrical coordinate robot “Versatran”
1967
- Europe installed its first industrial robot
1969
- Japan’s first industrial robot “Kawasaki-Unimate 2000”
- Norway’s Trallfa launched the first commercial painting robot
1970s (Key Transition Period)
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1974 | ASEA IRB 6: World’s first all-electric, microprocessor-controlled robot |
| 1978 | SCARA robot born (Japan Makino) |
| 1979 | Motor-driven spot welding robot, electric servo became mainstream |
1980s
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1980 | First machine vision-based industrial picking system |
| 1984 | AdeptOne SCARA robot (direct drive motor) |
| 1988 | HelpMate: First commercially available autonomous mobile robot |
1990s
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Da Vinci surgical robot (Intuitive Surgical) |
| 2002 | Roomba vacuum cleaning robot entered households |
| 2003 | NASA launched “Spirit” and “Opportunity” Mars rovers |
| 2005 | Kiva warehouse robot system |
2010s
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2008 | UR5 collaborative robot (Universal Robots) |
| 2009 | ROS open source robot operating system |
| 2016 | Atlas humanoid robot second generation, Spot quadruped robot |
Core Technology Evolution
- Drive technology: Hydraulic drive → Electric servo drive
- Control technology: Magnetic drum control → Microprocessor → Computer control
- Perception capability: Single sensor → Multi-sensor fusion
- Intelligence: Teaching playback → Autonomous decision-making → AI perception
Technology Breakthroughs
- Environmental perception: Multi-sensor fusion achieves centimeter-level positioning accuracy
- AI decision-making: Deep learning enables real-time path planning and dynamic obstacle avoidance
- Motion control: New drive methods achieve human-like movement flexibility