Who built the First Robot?

The ancient Greeks may have built a mechanism of what is believed to be the earliest known programmable robot.

Their people had a fascination with autonomous mechanisms. One can find descriptions of robotic creatures in their mythology and philosophy. Greek engineers are also well known for having constructed a number of automata propelled by either wind or steam.

In about 60 AD, a Greek engineer called Hero constructed a three-wheeled cart that could carry a group of automata to the front of a stage where they would perform for an audience. Power came from a falling weight that pulled on string wrapped round the cart's drive axle, and this string-based control mechanism is equivalent to a modern programming language.

The working replica:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQIo9iS_z0

Some of you may think this automaton doesn't really qualify as a real robot because it can't interact with its environment. Considering that it was designed and built almost 2,000 years ago, it is an impressive feat.

Not to be outdone, the ancient Chinese also may have claims to have built the earliest known humanoid automaton. The account of it is a bit vague, no further records yet to be found. This is said to have occured in the court of King Mu (Zhou Dynasty, 900 BC).

In the 3rd century BC text of the Lie Zi, there is a curious account on automata involving a much earlier encounter between King Mu of Zhou and a mechanical engineer known as Yan Shi (Chinese: 偃師), an 'artificer'. The latter proudly presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical 'handiwork'.

If you doubt the ingenuity of the ancient Chinese, then here's a story on a modern-day Chinese farmer with no engineering background. His claim to fame? Yes, builiding robots!

With a university education, he would probably be running the Chinese space program by now.

Farming robots:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4LIThTB8Ww