History of Robotics: from Ancient Times to the 18th Century

The idea of “robots”, in the meaning of artificial beings that could substitute real individuals, mainly to carry out heavy and repetitive tasks, dates back to ancient times. Indeed, almost every civilization speculated about such artificial beings, and several legends flourished among many peoples. The progress of technology enabled ingenious inventors to design and build some examples of what we may name “robot”. In this paper, we sketch a brief history of Robotics, from ancient times to the 18th century. The most important achievements, as well as the most interesting legends, are described and illustrated.