Analog robot
An analog robot is a type of robot which uses analog circuitry to go toward a simple goal such as finding more light or responding to sound. The first real analog robot was invented in the 1940s by William Grey Walter. The name of these robots were ELSIE and ELMER (Electro Mechanical Robot). The original circuitry was developed using two vacuum tubes and a photocell to search and follow a light. Recently a kind of analog robots was developed by Mark Tilden.
Unimate
It was invented by George Devol in the 1950s using his original patent filed in 1954 and granted in 1961 (). The patent begins:
The present invention relates to the automatic operation of machinery, particularly the handling apparatus, and to automatic control apparatus suited for such machinery.
Devol, together with Joseph Engelberger, his business associate, started the world's first robot manufacturing company, Unimation.