机器人的历史外文翻译资料.docVIP

机械专业外文资料翻译 系 别 机电工程系 专 业 机械设计制造及其自动化 班 级 学生姓名 学 号 日 期 History of Robots The notion of robots or robot-like automates can be traced back to medieval times. Although people of that era didn’t have a term to describe what we would eventually call a robot they were nevertheless imagining mechanisms that could perform human-like tasks. In medieval times, automatons, human-like figures run by hidden mechanisms, were used to impress peasant worshippers in church into believing in a higher power. The automatons, like the clock jack pictured here, created the illusion of self-motion (moving without assistance). The clock jack was a mechanical figure that could strike time on a bell with its axe. This technology was virtually unheard of in the 13th century. So imagine how aweinspiring an automaton was to someone just like you! In the 18th century, miniature automatons became popular as toys for the very rich. They were made to look and move like humans or small animals. The pretty musician in the picture was built around 1890. She can turn her head from side to side while playing the instrument with her hands and keeping time with her foot. In literature, humankind’s vivid imagination has often reflected our fascination with the idea of creating artificial life. In 1818, Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein, a story about the construction of a human-like creature. For Shelly, a robot looked like man but had the ability to function like a machine. It was built of human components, which could be held together by nuts and bolts. Notice there are even clips to hold the top of the head together! Shelly considered that a robot had to be bigger than a regular person and had to have super human strength. In 1921, Karel Capek, a Czech playwright, came up with an intelligent, artificially created person, which he called “robot”. The word “robot” is Czech for worker, and was gradually incorporated into the English language without being