History-Computer

Key Points Between 1943 – 1947, Donald Davies obtained first-class honors in degrees in Physics and Mathematics, from Imperial College, London. He was part of the team that developed the pilot ACE digital computer and its successor at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). He is credited with the terms packets and packet switching, still in […]

Key Points Between 1957 – 1963, Leonard Kleinrock obtained a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from New York City College, followed by a Masters and a Doctorate from MIT. Following this period, he launched Network Measurement Center at UCLA where he would be involved in working on ARPANET and in the connection of the first […]

Key Points NLS which stands for Online System was developed in 1962 by a team of researchers put together by Englebart. NLS handled tasks such as document cataloging, drafting, email, and shared screen collaborative viewing and editing. It was impressively detailed and made it possible for the viewer to obtain the relevant information they needed […]

Key Points François Willème’s forays into photosculpture earned him the patronage of the Imperial couple, luminaries of the arts and literature, as well as members of French high society. The process itself involved taking a series of photos and using them as synchronized photo projections to create a sculpture. In 1867, his work was shown […]

Why is the computer such an important machine? Can you answer my question? If you are a child, you can say Because it plays such wonderful games… If you are a mathematician, you can say Because it calculates every function in an instant… If you are a musician, you can say Because it gives me […]

History of Computers and Computing, Early Technologies In this section I’ll try to reveal some of the men, who developered several important early technologies and devices. Early (fairy-tale) automata François Willème Joseph Jacquard Alessandro Volta Oliver Evans Joseph Faber Emile Baudot Lyman Frank Baum Angela Robles Calvin Mooers

Key Points Paul Baran who obtained his first degree in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University and his Masters in Engineering from UCLA, was one of the brains behind the creation of digital packet switching networks. He worked on the first commercial computer at Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company and designed the first telemetering equipment at Raymond Rosen […]

Key Points: An automaton is a self-operating machine that follows a predetermined sequence of instructions and operations. The four types of automatons are: finite state machine, pushdown machine, turing machine, and linear bounded. Some applications of modern automata include robotics applications, spell checkers and text editors, use of AI, and genetic programming. Automata is the […]

Key Points: Jacques de Vaucanson was a French and inventor responsible for designing the world’s first robots. Vaucanson developed his first mechanical devices based on his understanding of anatomy. They mimicked biological functions like circulation, respiration, and digestion. In 1737, he built three mechanical automatons: The Flute Player, a life-size figure of a shepherd that […]

Key Points: Alessandro Volta is known for discovering methane gas (1776) and inventing the world’s first electric battery. Napoleon Bonaparte gave Volta the title of count and senator of the kingdom of Lombardy after he presented his voltaic pile to the emperor in 1801. Volta made discoveries in other areas including voltage, electrical condensers, electroscopes, […]

3 Facts about Leonardo Torres’s Chess Machine The machine could, in a totally unassisted and automated fashion, deliver mate with King and Rook against King. Although referred to as a chess player, Leonardo’s El Ajedrecista was not designed to play the whole chess game. Instead, the automaton was made to play a part of the […]

Key Points: Juanelo Turriano, a contemporary of Hans Bullman, creator of the first automatons, was an Italian/Spanish inventor and clock maker who also created automatons in the 1500’s. It’s believed that Turriano created the automaton Clockwork Prayer. Driven by a key-wound spring, the monk walks in a square and makes varied motions like striking his […]

Key Points: The late 13th century figure French Villard de Honnecourt is only accounted for in history based on a 33 parchment page portfolio which contains 250 drawings, now preserved in Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. The subjects of Villard’s drawings and inscriptions are categorized as: architecture, animals, carpentry, geometry, masonry, surveying, etc., and mechanical devices. Mechanical […]

Key Points: In Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels, he inadvertently inserted himself into the history of computers. In 1701, Swift anonymously published his first political pamphlet: A Discourse on the Contests and Dissentions in Athens and Rome. From there, he delved into writing more political pamphlets, then relocated to Ireland and continued there. Swift’s […]

Key Points: Shakey the Robot, built in the 1960’s, was the first mobile robot able to perceive and reason about its surroundings. This early robot became an archetype from which subsequent robots were built and significantly influenced modern robotics and AI techniques. When Shakey the Robot was covered in the 20 Nov 1970 edition of […]

Key Points: In 1611, Salomon de Caus, a French scientist and engineer, was invited by the Prince of Wales to build gardens at the Richmond Palace in London. In 1830, several French scientists mistakenly credited de Claus with inventing the steam engine. From 1613 till 1620, Salomon de Caus served Elector Friedrich V as an […]

6 Facts about the Steam Man The Steam Man of Zadoc Dederick is considered the first American robot. The machine was so inspirational it generated many more walking machines, steam or otherwise, and also fictional stories, like the famous dime novel The Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward S. Ellis. Zadoc Dederick and Isaac […]

Key Points Johan G. Strasser was an Austrian clockmaker and mechanic born in the 18th century. He is most famous for creating complex and beautiful music machines. One of his famous clocks that played an orchestra is still in working order and on display at the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Who was Johann Strasser […]

Key Points Henri Maillardet was a Swiss mechanic and clockmaker born in 1745. He is most famous for inventing small jeweled automatons. One of his inventions: The “Draughtsman-Writer”, is still preserved in the Franklin Institute of Science in Philadelphia. Henri Maillardet Around 1800, the Swiss mechanic and clockmaker Henri Maillardet (1745-1830), who worked then in […]

Key Points Philon was a Grek scientist born in 280 BC. Philon is most famous for writing books about science, mathematics, and engineering. Several new inventions, including a humanoid robot, were described in his books. Philon of Byzantion – Biography, History, and Inventions Philon of Byzantion Very little is known about the greek scientist Philon […]

Key Points Thomas Ross was an American inventor born in 1909. He is most famous for inventing a mechanical arm in 1933. The machine helped the user solve a complicated maze. Mr. Ross died in 2010 at the age of 101 years old. Who was Thomas Ross? Thomas Ross was an electrochemical expert from the […]

Key Points Angela Ruiz Robles was a Spanish writer, teacher, and inventor born in 1895. She is most famous for inventing a mechanical electronic book that she named The Mechanical Encyclopedia. The prototype of her invention can be viewed at the National Museum of Science and Technology in A Coruña. It never went into commercial […]

Key Points: Calvin Northrup Mooers (1919-1994) was an American computer scientist who was an influential figure in the early information science community. Mooers, whose Zator Co. was the first information retrieval company, coined the term information retrieval in 1950. The Rockford Research Institute was founded by Mooers in 1961, where he developed the TRAC programming […]

Key Points: Gottfried Leibniz (1646 – 1716) was a great German polymath, mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who invented the first mechanical calculator, suitable not only for addition and subtraction, but also for multiplication. His greatest achievement as a mathematician was the development of the main ideas of calculus, independently of Issac Newton. Both men […]

Key Points: Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart is considered the world’s first robotic vehicle. While many of his designs were revolutionary, it’s unclear if any of them were actually created. Leonardo da Vinci’s robotic knight was designed to stand, sit, cross its arms, turn its head, and lift its visor. His mechanical lion was designed […]

Key Points: Friedrich von Knaus (1724-1789), was a German watchmaker, mechanician and inventor, who built clockwork mechanisms which could play musical instruments and write short phrases. It is believed, that Knaus created the first writing automaton. Knaus made at least five writing automata of which the first was presented in France in 1753. Friedrich von […]

Key Points: Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680), a prominent German Jesuit polymath, was a famous 17th century scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of egyptology, music, optics, magnetism, geology, linguistics and comparative religion. Kircher received visits or letters from scientists, royalty and clergy from all over Europe and beyond, together with a […]

  Key Points: Ramon Llull, a Majorcan mathematician, philosopher, and Christian mystic, is known for writing a system of logic to synthesize types of truth in medieval times. Llull served as tutor to James II of Aragon while he was king, and later became seneschal to the future King James II of Majorca, who was […]

Key Points: Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Kaufmann was born on February 5, 1785, in Dresden, and was the son of the capable clock maker and instrument maker Johann Gottfried Kaufmann. The Kaufmann family was famous for the construction of several ingenious musical instruments at the beginning of the 19th century and for a Trumpet Player automation […]

Key Points: Pierre Jaquet-Droz was a Swiss-born watchmaker and mechanical genius who won world-wide acclaim for his beautiful, ground-breaking works. He developed the automatic winding pocket watch using a tiny inertia block. The oscillations of the inertia block would wind the spring of the watch with a click system as a person walked. After mastering […]

Key Points Jacquard’s loom relied on encoded punch cards to control the weaving process, making it possible to reproduce any pattern automatically. Jacquard’s open hole/closed hole system was the first instance in which binary code was used to direct automated processes. The innovation introduced by the French silk weaver still remains in use all around […]

Key Points Wolfgang von Kempelen was a German inventor born in 1734. He is most famous for inventing a chess-playing machine called The Turk He also invented a speaking machine and a pontoon bridge across the River Danube. Who Was Wolfgang von Kempelen? Wolfgang von Kempelen is a man revered for his inventions that created […]

Key Points Greek mathematician and engineer Hero of Alexandria was active in his native city of Alexandria. Hero of Alexandria was born in 10 AD. Heron’s works demonstrate his genius as an inventor, but he also made important contributions to mathematics. Who Was Heron (Hero) of Alexandria? Greek mathematician and engineer Hero of Alexandria was […]

Key Points Joseph Faber was an inventor who lived in Vienna in the 19th century. He is most famous for inventing a talking machine in 1844. His machine had keys like a piano which produced letters, words, and sentences. Euphonia The German Joseph Faber, born around 1800 in Freiburg Breisgau, near Schwarzwald, came at a […]

Key Points The first technology manuscript of the Italian Renaissance was produced by a Venetian scholar and engineer—Giovanni Jacopo Antonio de la Fontana (known also as Johannes Fontana de Venetiis). Giovanni Fontana was born in the early 1390s in Padua. At the time, he was considered almost a magician in Fontana. He even portrayed himself […]

Key Points Oliver Evans was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and a thought-leader in the field of automation. Oliver Evans designed and built the first fully automated industrial process. Oliver Evans is best known for inventing the Automated Mill. Who Was Oliver Evans? Oliver Evans was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and pioneer in the field of […]

Key Points Thomas Hobbes was an accomplished English philosopher, historian, and scientist. He was also considered one of the first modern philosophers to put together a detailed social contract theory. He is best known for his philosophical writings and beliefs on a variety of subjects such as church and state. Who was Thomas Hobbes? Thomas […]

Key Points Seleno, the Electric Dog, is considered the ancestor of self-directing robots. The Electric Dog had the ability to “follow” its master around a room. The Electric Dog demonstrated what selenium was, how it worked, and how light affected its properties. Electric Dog of Hammond and Miessner History  Seleno, the Electric Dog, was invented […]

Key Points Elektro is a nickname given to a robot that was built in 1937/38 by engineers. The robot’s was made of an aluminum skeleton as well as a motor, cam, steel gear body, and strong arms. George Westinghouse made: Herbert Televox (1927), Mr. Telelux (around 1931), and the 1937/38 Elektro among others. 8 Facts […]

Key Points The word automat is the Latinization of the Greek word αὐτόματον, which means acting of one’s own will. Automaton helps computer scientists to understand how machines compute and solve problems. Automaton is a self-control or operating machine designed to follow and respond to predetermined instructions. What is Early Automaton: Complete Explanation The word automat is the Latinization of the […]

Key Points The robot word was conceived in the beginning of 1920 by the Czech writer and playwright Karel Čapek. The robot word has become a universal expression in most languages for artificial-intelligence machines. Later in life, the writer Karel Čapek became a well-known anti-fascist and anti-communist. The creators of robot word, Karel Čapek (left), […]

Key Points Ctesibius (Greek Κτησίβιος) of Alexandria, Egypt was Greek inventor and mathematician. Ctesibius is credited with a number of inventions, including a water pump, a water organ, and a water clock. Ctesibius lived most probably between years 285 and 222 BC. Ctesibius Ctesibius (Greek Κτησίβιος) of Alexandria, Egypt, was a Greek inventor and mathematician, […]

Key Points Lyman Frank Baum was a famous American author. He published a 245 pages illustrated novel, The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale that described a device that is similar to modern augmented reality devices we have today. The book tells a story about a boy named Rob who experiments with electricity and accidentally […]

Key Points Samuel Butler was an English novelist and critic. He also translated several ancient Greek poems. Butler was originally going to be ordained into the Anglican clergy after graduation from Cambridge, but instead he sailed to New Zealand and became a sheep farmer. Samuel Butler was an English novelist who is best known for […]

Key Points Basile Bouchon invented the first industrial application of a (semi)-automated machine. Basile Bouchon worked in a silk centers and invented a way to control a loom with a perforated paper tape. The practice then was to punch holes in the paper designs that were wrapped around the cylinders. Basile Bouchon The first industrial […]

Key Points Isaac Asimov is considered the father of the laws of robotics. If you are thinking that Asimov’s laws of robotics are scientific laws then you are wrong. Robots are programmed to perform in a certain way or as per the outcomes of the algorithm, they might end up harming the human civilization or […]

Key Points Émile Baudot invented a device to encode letters, numbers, and symbols as uniform-length binary sequences was the multiplexed printing telegraph. Baudot’s system of recording data resulted in a recording mechanism that the early computers easily adopted. Baudot’s hardware had three main parts: the keyboard, the distributor, and a paper tape. Emile Baudot The […]

In this section will be presented some simple calculating devices, which are not so clever, to be presented in other sections of the site, but still clever enough, to be interesting as principle or to had market success. During the second half of 19th and first half of 20th centuriy, a large number of relatively […]

Key Points What are Logarithms: Complete Explanation A logarithm is the power which a certain number is raised to get another number. Before calculators and various types of complex computers were invented it was difficult for scientists and mathematicians to calculate extremely large numbers. Logarithms could help them accomplish this. The following provides several examples. […]

Key Points As the most ancient calculator known, the origin and inventor of the abacus is unknown. It’s a straightforward calculator that is still used in many countries in schools today. This counting frame allows individuals to track, add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers easily. 5 Facts About the Abacus The origin of the abacus […]