Robot
In 1928, one of the first humanoid robots, Eric, was exhibited at the annual exhibition of the Model Engineers Society in London, where it delivered a speech. Invented by W. H. Richards, the robot's frame consisted of an aluminium body of armour with eleven electromagnets and one motor powered by a twelve-volt power source. The robot could move its hands and head and could be controlled through remote control or voice control. Both Eric and his "brother" George toured the world.
Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek introduced and made popular the frequently used international word "robot", which first appeared in his play "R.U.R." in 1920. While it is frequently thought that he was the originator of the word, he wrote a short letter in reference to an article in the "Oxford English Dictionary" etymology in which he named his brother, painter and writer Josef Čapek, as its actual inventor. In an article in the Czech journal "Lidové noviny" in 1933, he also explained that he had originally wanted to call the creatures "laboři" (from Latin "labor", work). However, he did not like the word, seeing it as too artificial, and sought advice from his brother Josef, who suggested "roboti" ("robots" in English).