| Times have certainly changed - just look at what | | | | operated, programmable, and teachable was |
| kids are playing with these days. While toy cars | | | | invented by George Devol in 1954. His robot was |
| and dolls may still keep youngsters entertained, | | | | called the Unimate, which he sold to General |
| popular playthings of the new generation include | | | | Motors in 1960. In 1961, it was installed in a plant |
| video games, remote control toys, and toy | | | | in Trenton, New Jersey to lift hot pieces of metal |
| robots. | | | | from a die casting machine and stack them. |
| The origin of toy robots can be traced back to | | | | In 1985, the Tomy Kyogo Company created the |
| the development of robots. One of the earliest | | | | Omnibot 2000, a toy robot that could be |
| robots was an automaton invented by Frenchman | | | | controlled with a hand-held remote control or |
| Jacques de Vaucanson in 1738. He made a | | | | through programs stored on magnetic tape. In the |
| self-automating mechanical duck that was able to | | | | late 1990s, AIBO the robotic dog was introduced |
| eat and digest grain, flap its wings, and excrete. In | | | | by Sony. AIBO was capable of autonomously |
| Japan, Hisashige Tanaka created an assortment of | | | | navigating a room and playing ball using its sensor |
| extremely complex mechanical toys, some of | | | | array. Other pet robots soon followed. Tiger |
| which were capable of firing arrows, serving tea, | | | | Electronics created the Furby in 1998, a pet toy |
| or even painting a Japanese character. | | | | that could communicate with its owner. In 2001, |
| In the 1930s, Westinghouse Electric Corporation | | | | Omron released the robotic cat NeCoRo as a |
| built a humanoid robot. The robot, called Elektro, | | | | competitor to AIBO. It had Mind and |
| was exhibited at the World's Fair during 1939 and | | | | Consciousness (MaC) technology, enabling it to |
| 1940. From 1948 to 1949, William Grey Walter of | | | | generate feelings. |
| the Burden Neurological Institute at Bristol, England | | | | Toy robots have certainly come a long way from |
| developed the first electronic autonomous robots. | | | | Jacques de Vaucanson's mechanical duck over |
| Named Elmer and Elsie, these "turtle robots" could | | | | two centuries ago. They are a more common |
| sense light and contact with external objects. | | | | sight nowadays, and it is without a doubt that we |
| They were also capable of finding their charging | | | | will continue to see more of toy robots in the |
| station when their battery power ran low. | | | | years to come. |
| The first truly modern robot that was digitally | | | | |