Autonomous Mobile Robots — From ScienceFiction to Reality

摘要

For hundreds of years, people have dreamt of automatons that assist them insimple as well as difficult tasks. The term "automaton" dates back as far asthe Iliad, where "automate" is used in connection with the self-opening doorsof Mount Olympus. In the 18th century, mechanics and watchmakers began tobuild humanoid robots. The Swiss Jaquet Droz, for example, embarked on thedifficult undertaking of developing a "writer" that was able to write withouthuman assistance.