Although never completed due to a lack of funds, these two machines laid out the basics for mechanical calculations. Charles Babbage (1791-1871) worked to develop the foundations of computer science in the early-to-mid nineteenth century, his most successful projects being the difference engine and the analytical engine. The Industrial Revolution and the increased focus on mathematics, engineering, and science in England in the Victorian age added to the momentum towards actual robotics. Automata were so popular that they traveled Europe entertaining heads of state such as Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. French engineer Jacques de Vaucanson is credited with creating the first successful biomechanical automaton, a human figure that plays the flute. Many other automata were created that showed moving animals and humanoid figures that operated on simple cam systems, but in the 18th century, automata were understood well enough and technology advanced to the point where much more complex pieces could be made. In Europe, there is an automaton monk extant that kisses the cross in its hands. The Arab polymath Al-Jazari (1136-1206) left texts describing and illustrating his various mechanical devices, including a large elephant clock that moved and sounded at the hour, a musical robot band, and a waitress automaton that served drinks. In the Middle Ages, in both Europe and the Middle East, automatons were popular as part of clocks and religious worship. Unfortunately, none of the early automatons are extant. Predating modern robots in industry, the Greek God Hephaestus was supposed to have built automatons to work for him in a workshop. Ancient Greeks and Romans developed simple automatons for use as tools, toys, and as part of religious ceremonies. Many sources attest to the popularity of automatons in ancient and Medieval times. Robots have found uses in a wide variety of industries due to their robust resistance capabilities and precision function. Robots use special coding that differentiates them from other machines and machine tools, such as CNC. Essentially, a robot is a re-programmable machine that is capable of movement in the completion of a task. Where did the term robot come from? The word robotics was inadvertently coined by science fiction author Isaac Asimov in his 1941 story “Liar!” Science fiction authors throughout history have been interested in man’s capability of producing self-motivating machines and lifeforms, from the ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion to Mary Shelley’s Dr. Of course, the evolution of robots in the 20th and 21st centuries has advanced radically to include machines capable of assembling other machines and even robots that can be mistaken for human beings. In fact, the ancient Greek engineer Hero of Alexandria produced two texts, Pneumatica and Automata, that testify to the existence of hundreds of different kinds of “wonder” machines capable of automated movement. Although the science of robotics only came about in the 20th century, the history of robots and human-invented automation has a much lengthier past.