Joseph F. Engelberger American engineer, inventor Date of Birth: 26.07.1925 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joseph Engelberger
2. Founding Consolidated Controls
3. Partnership with George Devol
4. The Father of Robotics
5. Robotics in Practice and Robotics in Service
6. HelpMate and Transitions Research Corporation

Biography of Joseph Engelberger

Joseph F. Engelberger was born in 1925 in New York City. He obtained his education at Columbia University, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1946 and 1949, respectively. From 1949 to 1956, he worked at Manning, Maxwell and Moore, a company involved in aviation instruments, starting as an engineer and later becoming the chief engineer.

Founding Consolidated Controls

In 1957, Engelberger started his own business by founding Consolidated Controls. However, he continued to work as a consultant at Manning, Maxwell and Moore. During the 1950s, Engelberger also obtained four patents for his inventions.

Partnership with George Devol

In the early 1960s, Engelberger began collaborating with self-taught inventor George Devol. Devol was the first person to receive a patent for a robot in the United States and the author of the idea of a manipulator robot. Together, Devol and Engelberger founded Unimation in 1962, the first company dedicated to manufacturing industrial robots. Engelberger took on the role of a manager, handling business operations, attracting investors, conducting advertising campaigns, and popularizing their manipulator robots. He was a strong advocate for the future of robotics.

The Father of Robotics

In 1966, Engelberger appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a popular television show, showcasing several Unimate robots. This appearance led to his nickname, "the father of robotics." In 1965, the first series of standard industrial robots was released and sold well, particularly in Europe. The company continued to flourish in the 1970s until it was sold to Westinghouse in 1982.

Robotics in Practice and Robotics in Service

In 1980, Engelberger published his renowned book "Robotics in Practice." In the mid-1970s, Engelberger and Devol diverged in their interests. While Devol focused on industrial robots, Engelberger turned his attention towards service robots. He firmly believed that human labor would eventually be replaced by machines. He published his ideas in the book "Robotics in Service" in 1989.

HelpMate and Transitions Research Corporation

In the 1980s, the HelpMate, the first service robot designed for hospitals, was created and released. Engelberger founded Transitions Research Corporation in 1984, and by 1997, over a hundred hospitals were using HelpMate. Engelberger received numerous awards, including the National Academy of Engineering prize in 1984, the Progress Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the Leonardo da Vinci Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also received recognition from esteemed universities such as the University of Liverpool and Columbia University. In 1997, Engelberger was awarded the prestigious Japan Prize.

It is known that Joseph Engelberger serves on the board of directors of Electro Energy, Inc.