Joseph Engelberger
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Joseph Engelberger was an American engineer and entrepreneur, often called the father of robotics, who built the first industrial robot business.
Joseph Engelberger was an American engineer and entrepreneur, often called the father of robotics, who built the first industrial robot business.
Joseph Engelberger (1925 to 2015) was an American engineer. In the 1950s he met inventor George Devol, who had designed a programmable arm. Together they founded Unimation, the first robot company.
Achievements
He turned the idea into Unimate, which started work in a General Motors factory in 1961. For decades he promoted robots as tools that remove dangerous and repetitive work.
Why he matters
Without business founders like Engelberger, robotics might have stayed a lab curiosity. He is a reminder that building a robot is only half the job; the other half is finding a customer.
Ask R2 Co-pilot anything you didn't understand about Joseph Engelberger. It'll explain it plainly.
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Last updated · 2026-11-06
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