Engelberger, Joseph

(1925–  ) American

Entrepreneur, Roboticist

Joseph Engelberger and George Devol created the first indus-trial robot, revolutionizing the assembly line. Engelberger went on to develop other robots that can work in hospi-tals and other settings while tirelessly promoting industrial robotics.

Engelberger was born on July 26, 1925, in New York City. During World War II he was selected for a special pro-gram where promising students were paid to study physics at Columbia University. Just after the war he worked as an engineer on early nuclear tests in the Pacific. He also worked on aerospace and nuclear power projects. After com-pleting his military duties, Engelberger attended Columbia University’s School of Engineering and earned B.S. (1946) and M.S. degrees in physics and electrical engineering. This solid background in science and engineering would shape Engelberger’s practical approach to robot design.

A number of technologies of the 1940s and 1950s con-tributed to the later development of robotics. The war had greatly increased the development of automatic controls and servomechanisms that allow for precise positioning and manipulation of machine parts. The rise of nuclear power and the need to safely handle radioactive materials also spurred the development of automatic controls. Engelberger began to develop business ventures in the automation field, starting a company called Consolidated Controls.

In the mid-1950s Engelberger met George Devol, an inven-tor who had patented a programmable transfer machine. This was a device that could automatically move components from one specified position to another, such as in a die-casting machine that formed parts for automobiles. Engelberger realized that Devol’s machine could, with some additional extensions and capabilities, become a robot that could be programmed to work on an assembly line.

In 1956 Engelberger and Devol founded Unimate, Inc.— the world’s first industrial robot company. Their robot, also called Unimate, is essentially a large “shoulder” and arm. The shoulder can move along a track to position the arm near the materials to be manipulated. The arm can be equipped with a variety of specialized grasping “hands” to suit the task. The robot is programmed to perform a set of repetitive motions. It is also equipped with various devices for aligning the workpiece (the object to be manipulated) and to make small adjustments for variations.

In spring 1961 the first Unimate robot began opera-tions on the assembly line at the General Motors Plant in Turnstedt, a suburb of Trenton, New Jersey. Most of the factory’s 3,000 human workers welcomed the newcomer because Unimate would be doing a job involving the cast-ing of car doors and other parts from molten metal—hot, dangerous work. That first Unimate worked for nearly 10 years, tirelessly keeping up with three shifts of human workers each day.

In 1980 Engelberger published Robotics in Practice. This book, together with Robotics in Service (1988), became a standard textbook that defined the growing robotics indus-try. The two titles also marked a shifting of Engelberger’s focus from industrial robots to service robots—robots that would do their jobs not in factories, but in workplaces such as warehouses or hospitals.

In the 1980s Engelberger founded HelpMate Robotics, Inc. The company’s most successful product has been the HelpMate robot. The robot is designed to dispatch records, laboratory samples, and supplies throughout a busy hos-pital. HelpMate does not follow a fixed track. Rather, it is programmed to visit a succession of areas or stations and makes its own way, using cameras to detect and go around obstacles. HelpMate can even summon an elevator to go to a different floor!

Along with other robotics entrepreneurs, Engelberger is also looking toward a time when robots will be able to perform a number of useful tasks in the home. In particu-lar, Engelberger sees great potential for robots in helping to care for the growing population of elderly people who need assistance in the tasks of daily life. He points out that no government or insurance company can afford to hire a full-time human assistant to enable older people to con-tinue to live at home. However, a suitable robot could fetch things, remind a person when it is time to take medication, and even perform medical monitoring and summon help if necessary.

Joseph Engelberger’s achievements in industrial and ser-vice robotics have won him numerous plaudits and awards from the industry. He has also received honorary doctorates from five institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh—one of the great centers of robotics research in the United States.

Since 1977, the Robotics Industries Association has pre-sented the annual Joseph F. Engelberger Award to honor the most significant innovators in the science and technology of robotics. Engelberger was elected to the National Acad-emy of Engineering in 1984. He also received the Prog-ress Award of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Leonardo da Vinci Award of the Society of Mechanical Engineers, as well as the 1982 American Machinist Award. In 1992 Engelberger was included in the London Sunday Times series on “The 1000 Makers of the 20th Century.” Japan has awarded him the Japan Prize for his key role in the establishment of that nation’s thriving robotics indus-try. In 2000 Engelberger delivered the keynote address to the World Automation Congress, which was also dedicated to him. In 2004 he received the IEEE Robotics and Automa-tion Award.