1971 – A computer controlled multi-task powered exoskeleton for paraplegic patients – Jack George Grundmann / Ali Seireg (American)

University of Wisconsin-Madison Mechanical Engineering Professor Ali Seireg achieved worldwide recognition for his work in mechanical and biomedical engineering design. Among his advances, he was first to develop a mathematical model of the entire human musculoskeletal system that could predict the muscle and joint forces and interactions, given a motion input. In the early 1970s, …

1950 – Remote-control Manipulator – Art Youmans (American)

Several feet away, the operator controls the arm from this chair. It can measure out liquid by the drop.  "Adelbert"—Science's "Right Arm"—Can Even Write Its Name ALTHOUGH it looks more like a dentist's oversized drill, a gentle-acting mechanical arm called "Adelbert" is actually built like the human arm. It has an elbow, shoulder, wrist and …

1950c – “The Iron Hand” Industrial Robot – Erie Engineering Company (American)

The Iron Hand (Sourced from here and authored by Kerry Kirsch) The Iron Hand was a robot that was developed by someone at Erie Engineering Company, 840 West Baltimore, Detroit, Michigan in the shadows of the old General Motors Building. Erie Engineering was owned by my grandfather, Frank Karl Kirsch, and specialized in Tool & …

1961 – Jacobsen Automatic Lawnmower – Gordon Carlson (American)

Published in Radio-Electronics, April 1961. The Lazy Man's Delight … An Automated Lawnmower By GORDON CARLSON – Development engineer, DeVry Technical Institute. Chicago, Ill. MUCH has been done with remote control, but a remotely controlled device that must maneuver in tight spaces (such as a grass cutter near the wife's flower beds) and in near …

1952 – Stewart Automatic Lawn Mower – Sterling Stewart (American)

1952 – Stewart Automatic Lawn Mower by Sterling Stewart SCIENCE IS SERVED Seattle: Sterling Stewart of Sioux City, IA., a graduate science student at the University of Washington, isn't lazy in the true sense of the word. He's able to relax with a cold drink while his lawn is mowed only because he had the …