Robotics

The idea of a machine that looks and behaves like a human being goes back at least 2,000 years. According to Greek mythology, Hephaestus, the god of fire, constructed artificial women out of gold. These women were able to walk, talk, and even to think.

By the eighteenth century, scientists and inventors had created an impressive array of mechanical figures that looked and acted like humans and other animals. The French Jacquet-Droz brothers, Pierre and Henri-Louis, for example, constructed a doll that was able to play the piano, swaying in time with the music, and a young scribe who could write messages of up to 40 characters.

Many of these early accomplishments had little practical value. They were built in order to impress or charm viewers, or to demonstrate the inventor's creative and technological skills. That line of research continues today. Many modern robots have little function beyond demonstrating what can be done in building machines that more and more closely resemble the appearance and function of humans.

One function for such robots is in advertising. They are used to publicize some particular product or to inform the general public about the robots themselves. Robots of this kind are most commonly found at conventions, conferences, or other large meetings. As one example, a robot named Argon was used in April 1983 to walk a dog through a veterinary congress in London, promoting the "Pets Are Good People" program.