One of the first instances of a mechanical device built to regularly carry out a particular physical task occurred around 3000 B.C.: Egyptian water clocks used human figurines to strike the hour bells. In 400 B.C., Archytus of Taremtum, inventor of the pulley and the screw, also invented a wooden pigeon that could fly. Hydraulically-operated statues that could speak, gesture, and prophecy were commonly constructed in Hellenic Egypt during the second century B.C. In the first century A.D., Petronius Arbiter made a doll that could move like a human being. Giovanni Torriani created a wooden robot that could fetch the Emperor’s daily bread from the store in 1557. Robotic inventions reached a relative peak (before the 20th century) in the 1700s; countless ingenius, yet impractical, automata (i.e. robots) were created during this time period. The 19th century was also filled with new robotic creations, such as a talking doll by Edison and a steam-powered robot by Canadians. Although these inventions throughout history may have planted the first seeds of inspiration for the modern robot, the scientific progress made in the 20th century in the field of robotics surpass previous advancements a thousandfold.
The earliest robots as we know them were created in the early 1950s by George C. Devol, an inventor from Louisville, Kentucky. He invented and patented a reprogrammable manipulator called “Unimate,” from “Universal Automation.” For the next decade, he attempted to sell his product in the industry, but did not succeed. In the late 1960s, businessman/engineer Joseph Engleberger acquired Devol’s robot patent and was able to modify it into an industrial robot and form a company called Unimation to produce and market the robots. For his efforts and successes, Engleberger is known in the industry as “the Father of Robotics.”
Academia also made much progress in the creation new robots. In 1958 at the Stanford Research Institute, Charles Rosen led a research team in developing a robot called “Shakey.” Shakey was far more advanced than the original Unimate, which was designed for specialized, industrial applications. Shakey could wheel around the room, observe the scene with his television “eyes,” move across unfamiliar surroundings, and to a certain degree, respond to his environment. He was given his name because of his wobbly and clattering movements. (https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/robotics/history.html). In 21st century, technology of robots have greatly advanced, concepts like personal robots, humanoid robots, social robots have emerged. Today, the most advanced robots interacting with humans are called social humanoid robots. They are used in education, care for disadvantaged people, greeting customers in organizations, helping people in numerous purposes etc. One of these robots is Pepper Robot, which is thought by academicians that the best humanoid robot for education. In this project, Pepper Robot will be used to educate students to make the robot be used in its best facilities.
Our main reason to apply for this project is making a comprehensive education program with its delivering methods and materials to be delivered for social humanoid robots, via Pepper Robot. This is a project that could only be implemented under the EU’s policies and opportunities presented for her citizens. As an experienced organization in robotics education, and our four partners who are also experienced in humanoid robots and robotics as well as Erasmus+ projects, we are capable of implementing this project under the EU’s framework and regulations. In education of Pepper Robot, there is a major gap in terms of materials and delivering methodologies, as well as a comprehensive and completely new curriculum. Students and learners from all age and education groups, specifically bachelor’s degree students as pilot learners, will be given the opportunity to be trained with the results of the project.