The Evolution of Humanoid Robots: A Comprehensive Timeline

Introduction

The field of robotics has witnessed remarkable advancements over the centuries, with the development of humanoid robots standing out as a testament to human ingenuity and technological progress. From ancient automata to the cutting-edge humanoid robots of today, this comprehensive timeline takes us on a journey through the key milestones in the evolution of humanoid robotics.

Ancient Automata (c. 250 BC – c. 50 AD)

The concept of humanoid automatons dates back to ancient times, with Chinese philosopher Lie Yukou detailing a humanoid automaton around 250 BC in the Liezi. The fascination with automatons continued in ancient Greece, where mathematician Hero of Alexandria described a machine capable of automatically pouring wine for party guests around 50 AD.

Al-Jazari’s Marvels (1206)

In the 13th century, Ismail Al-Jazari, a polymath from the Islamic Golden Age, described a band of humanoid automatons capable of intricate facial and body actions. His creations also included hand-washing automata with humanoid servants and a programmable “castle clock” featuring musician automata.

Leonardo’s Knight (1495)

During the Renaissance, the legendary Leonardo da Vinci designed a humanoid automaton clad in a suit of knight’s armor. Operated by pulleys and cables, this creation showcased da Vinci’s visionary approach to robotics.

The Flute Player and the Jacquet-Droz Automata (1738 – 1774)

In the 18th century, Jacques de Vaucanson built The Flute Player, a life-size automaton capable of playing different melodies on the flute. Later, Pierre Jacquet-Droz and his son Henri-Louis created remarkable automata, including the Draughtsman, the Musicienne, and the Writer.

Tesla’s Automaton (1898)

Nikola Tesla, known for his pioneering work in electricity and magnetism, publicly demonstrated his “automaton” technology in 1898. He wirelessly controlled a model boat at the Electrical Exposition in New York City during the Spanish–American War.

The Birth of the Term “Robot” (1921)

In 1921, Czech writer Karel Čapek introduced the term “robot” in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). Derived from the Czech word “robota,” meaning “labour” or “drudgery,” the term became synonymous with artificial beings.

Early Film Depictions (1927 – 1928)

Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis featured Maschinenmensch (“machine-human”), one of the earliest humanoid robots on film. Additionally, an electrical robot named Eric opened an exhibition in London in 1928.

Elektro and Asimov’s Laws (1939 – 1942)

In 1939, Westinghouse Electric Corporation unveiled Elektro, a humanoid robot. Meanwhile, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov formulated the Three Laws of Robotics in his stories during the early 1940s, laying the foundation for ethical considerations in robotics.

The Rise of Cybernetics (1948)

Norbert Wiener’s formulation of cybernetics in 1948 provided the theoretical basis for practical robotics. This interdisciplinary field explored communication and control in living organisms and machines.

Unimate and the Digital Era (1961)

The Unimate, installed on a General Motors assembly line in 1961, marked the first digitally operated and programmable non-humanoid robot. Created by George Devol and Unimation, it played a crucial role in industrial automation.

WABOT-1 and Androids (1967 – 1972)

Waseda University’s WABOT project culminated in 1972 with the creation of WABOT-1, the world’s first full-scale humanoid intelligent robot. This android could walk, communicate in Japanese, and interact with its environment.

Contributions to Motion Control (1969 – 1970)

In 1969, D.E. Whitney published an influential article on motion control for manipulators and human prostheses. Miomir Vukobratović’s theoretical model, Zero Moment Point, explained bipedal locomotion in 1970.

Powered Exoskeleton and Legged Locomotion (1972 – 1980)

Miomir Vukobratović and his associates built the first active anthropomorphic exoskeleton in 1972. In 1980, Marc Raibert established the MIT Leg Lab, dedicated to studying legged locomotion and building dynamic legged robots.

The Greenman and WABOT-2 (1983 – 1984)

In 1983, the Greenman robot, developed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, demonstrated advanced features with its exoskeletal master controller. In 1984, Waseda University created WABOT-2, a musician humanoid robot capable of reading musical scores and playing the electronic organ.

Advancements in Bipedal Robots (1985 – 1989)

Hitachi’s WHL-11 (1985) showcased static walking, while Honda developed the E series of bipedal robots (1986 – 1993). In 1989, Manny, a full-scale anthropomorphic robot, demonstrated crawling and simulated breathing for the US Army.

Passive Walking and Human-Robot Communication (1990 – 1997)

Tad McGeer’s work in 1990 demonstrated that a biped with knees could walk passively down a slope. Waseda University’s Hadaly (1995) and Wabian (1995) contributed to the study of human-robot communication.

Honda’s ASIMO and Sony’s Qrio (2000 – 2001)

In 2000, Honda introduced ASIMO, its 11th bipedal humanoid robot, capable of running. Sony unveiled the Qrio in 2001, a small humanoid entertainment robot that showcased impressive mobility.

Technological Advancements (2002 – 2008)

The early 2000s saw the development of various humanoid robots, including Fujitsu’s HOAP series (2001 – 2005), HRP-2 by MSTC (2002), and the humanoid service robot REEM-A (2006) by PAL Robotics.

The Era of Social Robots (2005 – 2011)

Wakamaru (2005) by Mitsubishi, Actroid (2005) with realistic silicone “skin,” and Nao (2006) by Aldebaran Robotics marked the rise of social robots. Robonaut 2 (2010) by NASA and General Motors aimed at performing spacewalks.

Open Source and 3D-Printed Robots (2008 – 2014)

The late 2000s brought open-source initiatives like Justin (2008) and Nexi (2008). In 2014, Poppy, the first 3D-printed humanoid robot, showcased the potential of accessible and customizable robotic designs.

Recent Developments (2016 – 2022)

Sophia (2016), developed by Hanson Robotics, gained attention for its artificial intelligence and facial recognition capabilities. DARPA Robotics Challenge (2013) spurred advancements, with Google acquiring leading team SCHAFT. In 2022, Tesla unveiled its humanoid robot, Optimus, and Africa saw its first humanoid robot, Omeife, reflecting a global expansion of humanoid robotics.

Conclusion

The timeline of humanoid robots reveals an extraordinary journey from ancient automata to the

cutting-edge robots of today. As technology continues to advance, the future promises even more remarkable developments, pushing the boundaries of what humanoid robots can achieve. From industrial applications to social interaction and space exploration, humanoid robotics continues to shape the way we live and work, ushering in a new era of technological possibilities.

A Complete Titmline December 2023

Year	Subject	Notes
c. 250 BC	Automaton	A description of a humanoid automaton is found in the Liezi, authored by the Chinese philosopher Lie Yukou.[3]
c. 50 AD	Automata	The Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria details a machine capable of automatically pouring wine for party guests.[35]
1206	Ismail Al-Jazari’s Marvels	Ismail Al-Jazari describes a band of humanoid automata, performing over fifty facial and body actions during musical selections. He also creates hand-washing automata with humanoid servants and a programmable “castle clock” featuring musician automata.[36]
1495	Leonardo’s Robot	Leonardo da Vinci designs a humanoid automaton clad in knight’s armor, operated by pulleys and cables.[6]
1738	The Flute Player	Jacques de Vaucanson constructs The Flute Player, a life-size automaton capable of playing different melodies on the flute.[10]
1774	Jacquet-Droz Automata	Pierre Jacquet-Droz and son Henri-Louis create the Draughtsman, the Musicienne, and the Writer, a figure of a boy capable of writing messages up to 40 characters long.[38]
1898	Tesla’s Automaton	Nikola Tesla publicly demonstrates his “automaton” technology by wirelessly controlling a model boat at the Electrical Exposition in New York City during the Spanish–American War.[39]
1921	Birth of the Term “Robot”	Czech writer Karel Čapek introduces the term “robot” in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), derived from the Czech word “robota,” meaning “labour, drudgery.”[40]
1927	Maschinenmensch	The gynoid humanoid robot, Maschinenmensch, appears in Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis, one of the earliest humanoid robots in cinema.
1928	Eric	An electrical robot opens an exhibition in London, touring the world.[41]
1939	Elektro	Westinghouse Electric Corporation unveils Elektro, a humanoid robot.[42]
1941-42	Three Laws of Robotics	Isaac Asimov formulates the Three Laws of Robotics, laying the groundwork for ethical considerations in robotics.[43]
1948	Cybernetics	Norbert Wiener formulates the principles of cybernetics, providing the theoretical basis for practical robotics.[44]
1961	Unimate	The Unimate, the first digitally operated and programmable non-humanoid robot, is installed on a General Motors assembly line for lifting hot pieces of metal.[45]
1967-72	WABOT-1	Waseda University completes WABOT-1, the world’s first full-scale humanoid intelligent robot, capable of walking, communication, distance measurement, and object manipulation.[46][47]
1969	Motion Control	D.E. Whitney publishes the article “Resolved motion rate control of manipulators and human prostheses,” contributing to the field of motion control.[51]
1970	Zero Moment Point	Miomir Vukobratović proposes a theoretical model, Zero Moment Point, to explain bipedal locomotion.[52]
1972	Powered Exoskeleton	Miomir Vukobratović and associates build the first active anthropomorphic exoskeleton.[53]
1980	Legged Locomotion	Marc Raibert establishes the MIT Leg Lab, dedicated to studying legged locomotion and building dynamic legged robots.[54]
1983	Greenman	The Greenman robot, developed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, demonstrates advanced features with its exoskeletal master controller, vision system, and aviator’s helmet-mounted monitors.[55]
1984	WABOT-2	Waseda University creates WABOT-2, a musician humanoid robot with the ability to read musical scores and play tunes on an electronic organ.[48]
1985	WHL-11	Developed by Hitachi Ltd, WHL-11 showcases static walking and turning capabilities.[48]
1986	Honda E Series	Honda develops seven biped robots designated E0 through E6, spanning from 1986 to 1993.[56]
1989	Manny	A full-scale anthropomorphic robot with 42 degrees of freedom is developed for the US Army, demonstrating crawling and simulated breathing.[48]
1990	Passive Walking	Tad McGeer demonstrates passive walking of a biped with knees down a slope.[57]
1995	Hadaly and Wabian	Waseda University develops Hadaly for human-robot communication and Wabian as a human-size biped walking robot.[58]
1996	Saika	Tokyo University develops Saika, a light-weight, human-size biped humanoid robot.[48]
1997	Hadaly-2	Waseda University designs Hadaly-2, a humanoid robot emphasizing interactive communication with humans.[58]
2000	ASIMO	Honda introduces ASIMO, its 11th bipedal humanoid robot, capable of running.[56]
2001	Qrio	Sony unveils the Qrio, a small humanoid entertainment robot, showcasing impressive mobility.[59]
2002	Technological Advancements	Various humanoid robots are developed, including Fujitsu’s HOAP series (2001 – 2005), MSTC’s HRP-2 (2002), and PAL Robotics’ REEM-A (2006).[60][61][90]
2005	Social Robots	Mitsubishi’s Wakamaru, Actroid with realistic silicone “skin,” and Aldebaran Robotics’ Nao mark the rise of social robots.[66]
2008	Open Source and 3D-Printed	Open-source initiatives like Justin (2008) and Nexi (2008) emerge. Poppy (2014), the first 3D-printed humanoid robot, showcases accessible and customizable designs.[74][98]
2011	Era of Social Robots	Honda’s ASIMO (2011) and SoftBank’s Pepper (2014) exemplify social robots designed for companionship and interaction.[92][100]
2013	DARPA Robotics Challenge	The DARPA Robotics Challenge spurs advancements, with Google acquiring the leading team SCHAFT.[96]
2016	AI-Integrated Humanoids	Sophia, developed by Hanson Robotics, integrates artificial intelligence, visual data processing, and facial recognition.[103]
2017	Autonomous Bipedal Robot	PAL Robotics introduces TALOS, a fully electrical humanoid robot with autonomous capabilities.[105]
2018	Rashmi Robot	Rashmi Robot, a multilingual humanoid with emotional interpretation capabilities, is launched in India.[107]
2020	Spacefaring Robot	Vyommitra, developed by ISRO for the Gaganyaan mission, and Epi from Lund University highlight diverse applications, including space exploration and developmental studies.[108][109]
2022	Recent Innovations	Engineered Arts Ltd’s Ameca, isento GmbH’s pib, Tesla’s Optimus, and Uniccon Group’s Omeife demonstrate ongoing advancements in humanoid robotics.[111][112][113][114]