robot

We are all familiar with the popular definition of a robot. The AHD defines it as "a mechanical device that can perform a variety of often complex tasks on command or by being programmed in advance." The word comes from the Czech robota, meaning drudgery, servitude, or forced labor. . The word first appeared in English in 1923 with the translation of Czech writer Karel Capek's play "Rossum's Universal Robots" in which humanlike machines are invented and distributed widely around the world. However, these "forced labor" machines eventually overthrow their human masters. We live in a society today in which we can scarcely perform even the simplest task without the aid of an appliance, computer, or machine to make the work easier for us. The field of Artificial Intelligence is an ever-growing frontier, developing machines that are sensitive to the needs and habits of the humans that they serve. Fewer than 100 years ago, this kind of technology was relegated to the pages of science fiction and fantasy books!