Joseph Engelberg. An American who developed the world's first industrial robot in 1959 and is known as the "Father of Robotics".
Jeff Bernstein, president of the Robotic Industries Association of America, was effusive in his praise of Engelberg's contributions, saying that because of him, robotics has become a global industry. He was ahead of his time when he was able to conjure up robots from insects, birds and other life decades ago.
His phrase "Do you think a robot can do that" inspired countless people and led to the creation of countless great robots.
Engelberg was named a member of the U.S. Academy of Engineering for his enormous contributions to the field of robotics. He was also named one of the "1,000 Greatest Creators of the 20th Century" by the Sunday Times of London.
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Engelberger was born in 1925 to a German immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York. A lover of technology and science fiction, the young man, who had joined the Army at age 17, first studied physics at Columbia University and then spent three years earning a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the school.
In 1956, a cocktail conversation with George DeVore changed everything: Engelberg discovered that the inventor shared his fascination with the robotics stories of science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, and Engelberg was thrilled by DeVore's patent for a "programmed parts transfer device. Engelberg was thrilled. After a hangover, Engelberg approached DeVore, bought his patent, and formed an alliance.
Three million dollars in angel investment came in 1957, and in 1958 Engelberg founded Unimation, the world's first robotics company, which, using patents licensed by George Devol, developed the world's first industrial robot in 1959. developed the world's first industrial robot, a 2-ton behemoth with 1/10,000-inch accuracy.
His inventions contributed to the creation of the robotics industry, and in 1983, just as sales of industrial robots were booming, Engelberg and his colleagues sold Unimation to Westinghouse and founded TRC, Inc. to develop service robots.
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