The word robot is derived from the Czech word robota meaning work. The idea of robots as humanoid machines was first introduced in Karel Capek's 1921 play "R.U.R.", where the playwright conceived Rossum's Universal Robots. Sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov made robots famous, beginning with his story I, Robot (1950) and continuing through a string of books known as the Robot Series. Asimov presented the idea of "The Three Laws of Robotics", which are :
- A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
References & Links
- Human Robots
- Case and Molly as a human robots (more like cyborgs).
- Laboratory Robotics
- Not as sexy as androids, but more reality nowadays.
