
The Robot
The Life Story of a Technology
Lisa Nocks(Author)
Johns Hopkins University Press
Published on 29. December 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-8018-9071-0 (ISBN)
Description
Robots fascinate us, and they have become increasingly important in post-World War II industry and space exploration. Where did the idea for such devices come from? What varied uses do they serve in our world, and where do they seem to be headed? Lisa Nocks traces the history of the robot, from the earliest concepts in ancient myth to mechanical toys of the Enlightenment, from the Jacquard punch card loom in the Industrial Revolution to Japanese car-making devices, and from rovers on Mars and the latest developments in artificial intelligence to the service robotics of the twenty-first century. This volume includes a timeline of important events, a glossary of terms, descriptions and statistics of robot labs and companies around the world, and a helpful bibliography of primary and secondary sources for further research.
Reviews / Votes
Concise and direct to the point, Nocks' technography on the robot offers a rich overview of the systems we understand as robotic. It summarizes the 30-some-year-long history of a plethora of ideas, experiments, and implementations that have found their places in our everyday lives. Choice What distinguishes this book from others is its attempt to cover the long history of robots, as well as to take the time to explain how many of the technologies actually work. -- Peter Asaro IsisMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore, MD
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
20 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
20 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
381 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8018-9071-0 (9780801890710)
DOI
10.56021/9780801890710
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lisa Nocks is a University Lecturer at New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Federated Department of History, NJIT/Rutgers. She writes on the recent history of technology and the social impact of techno-science.
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Timeline
Part I: Ancestors
1. Between Ritual, Myth, and Machine: Robot Ancestors
2. Automata to Automation
Part II: The Early Years
3. Into the Factory: The First Robots
4. Smarter Machines: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Part III: Growth of the Field
5. Getting Around: Perception, Locomotion, and Power
6. Robots among Us: The Latest Developments
Conclusion
Glossary of Terms
Further Reading
Index
Introduction
Timeline
Part I: Ancestors
1. Between Ritual, Myth, and Machine: Robot Ancestors
2. Automata to Automation
Part II: The Early Years
3. Into the Factory: The First Robots
4. Smarter Machines: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Part III: Growth of the Field
5. Getting Around: Perception, Locomotion, and Power
6. Robots among Us: The Latest Developments
Conclusion
Glossary of Terms
Further Reading
Index