Unimate — The First Industrial Robot

What is Unimate — The First Industrial Robot?

Unimate was the world's first industrial robot, designed by inventor George Devol and entrepreneur Joseph Engelberger and installed at General Motors' New Jersey plant in 1961. It performed dangerous die-casting tasks — handing hot car parts — for 18 years.

How It Works

Unimate was a 4000-pound hydraulic arm with magnetic-drum-based program storage. Operators 'taught' it by manually moving the arm through positions while the controller recorded joint angles. Once trained, Unimate played the trajectory back precisely, repeatedly, day and night. Cycle time: about 1 part per minute. Reliability and indefatigability — not speed — were the breakthrough.

Real-World Example

GM's Trenton plant ran the original Unimate from 1961-1979. Engelberger went on to found Unimation, the first robotics company. By the late 1970s, hundreds of Unimates were running in US, European, and Japanese factories. The robot is now in the Smithsonian.

Why It Matters for Robotics

Unimate created the entire industrial-robotics industry. Engelberger is rightly called the 'Father of Robotics'. Every modern industrial robot — every KUKA, Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa — descends from this 1961 machine.

Try It Yourself

Watch the 1961 NBC 'Today Show' episode where Engelberger demonstrated Unimate pouring coffee — it is hilarious and historically priceless. Then read Engelberger's book 'Robotics in Practice' (1980) — still classic-required reading.

Quick Quiz

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Quick Quiz
3 questions
1.Unimate was first installed at:
A.General Motors Trenton plant, 1961
B.Tesla Fremont, 2020
C.Ford River Rouge, 1900
D.BMW Munich, 1990
2.Joseph Engelberger is known as:
A.The Father of Robotics
B.A music producer
C.A jet pilot
D.A microbiologist
3.Unimate primarily did:
A.Dangerous die-casting and parts handling
B.Embroidery
C.Coffee brewing only
D.Banking

Further Reading

• Industrial Robot
• History Of Robotics
• Kuka Kr
• Robocup

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