Fathers of Robotics: Joseph Engelberger

This is the second part of three in our series "Fathers of Robotics". With robots getting more and more present in our daily lives, it's interesting to look back and get to know the great minds who first conceived a future where machines would help humans.

Joseph Engelberger

Born in Brooklyn (New York City, USA) on July 26th 1925. He was an American physicist, engineer, and entrepreneur. In the 50s, he licensed the patent of George Devol. Developing the first industrial robot : the Unimate. And gaining him the global recognition as the Father of Robotics in the mean time. Growing up in Connecticut during the Great Depression, he returned to New York City for his college education. He pursued degrees in sciences, graduating with a B.Sc. in Physics in 1946 and with a M.Sc. in Electric Engineering in 1949 - both from Columbia University. He met George Devol while working at Manning, Maxwell and Moore in 1956. Devol was the owner of a patent for a basic industrial robotic arm. And when the company they worked for closed their division, finding themselves jobless but with an idea, they founded Unimation.

The world's first robotics company

The two men collaborated to design and produce a robotic arm based on Devol's patent. They installed the first unit of the Unimate robotic arm at a General Motors Plant in New Jersey in 1961. The arm completely disrupted the car manufacturing industry. Chrysler and Ford soon followed General Motors and started deploying Unimates arms in their manufacturing facilities. With demand and sales increasing, and production costs decreasing, the company managed to generate a substantial profit. In 1966, Engelberger and a Unimate robot were guests on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. However, in the early 80's the car makers (which had been Unimation's first and most reliable clients) began to favor electric motors in spite of hydraulic motors. Joseph Engelberger vehemently opposed this change, which lead to a decrease in sales and eventually to the company being bought by Westinghouse in 1982. Despite missing this opportunity, Joseph Engelberger was still highly considered. Especially in Japan where he was hailed a key player in the postwar ascendancy of Japanese manufacturing quality and efficiency.

HelpMate

After leaving Unimation, and seeing his parents age, Engelberger saw an opportunity for robotics to improve the medical field. He founded Transitions Research Corporation in 1984, selling the first HelpMate unit in 1988. Within the next 10 years, over 100 hospitals worldwide were operating HelpMates. The success of HelpMate gained him even more recognition, including a praising speech in the U.S. Senate. His company was eventually acquired by Cardinal Health in the late 1990s. Even after leaving his company and being in his eighties, he remained a very active member in the field of robotics. Especially the sub-field of robotics for elderly care.

Legacy : birthing the industrial robotics revolution

While the original patent was Devol's, Joseph Engelberger surpassed himself to develop the company and democratize industrial robots. He ushered the European and Asian robotics market. He always strived to improve his company's products, and to ensure they provided a positive impact on the world and on human lives. Committed to his vision, he transitioned from industrial robotics to service robotics, and kept working until his last years. His work disrupted our world, and it did while following a humanist vision of a better world where robots would improve human lives. A feat of strength that indubitably grants him his place among the Fathers of Robotics.