What is the name and who invented the first industrial robot?

• A. Genghis invented by the Mobile Robots Group at MIT
• B. Unimate invented by Devol and Engelberger
• C. Dante invented by students at Carnegie Mellon University
• D. Cyberknife invented by John Adler

Answer: (B)

The first industrial robot is Unimate, created by George Devol and Joseph Engelberger. Devol conceived the idea of a programmable robot in the 1950s, and Engelberger helped turn it into a real, market-ready machine by founding the company Unimation. In 1961, Unimate was installed in a General Motors plant to perform die-casting handling tasks, showing that robots could operate on the factory floor and transform manufacturing efficiency. This success cemented Unimate as the landmark achievement in industrial robotics.

The other names listed don’t fit the milestone of the first industrial robot—one is a historical figure, others are not associated with this early robotic development or context.