Page 15 - 2617_JSSPS_C-7

1964 – ELIZA: The First Chatbot
Developed between 1964 and 1966 by Joseph
Weizenbaum at MIT, ELIZA was one of the first
computer programs designed to simulate human
conversation. ELIZA used pattern matching to
simulate a conversation with a human, famously
mimicking a Rogerian psychotherapist. Although basic
by today’s standards, ELIZA introduced the concept of
Natural Language Processing (NLP), a crucial area of
AI focused on enabling machines to understand and
generate human language. ELIZA remains a foundational example of early AI’s ability to interact with
users through text.

Mid-1960s – Shakey the Robot
Shakey, developed at the Stanford Research Institute
(SRI) between 1966 and 1972, was the first mobile
robot capable of reasoning about its own actions
and surroundings. Unlike earlier robots that followed
predefined scripts, Shakey was able to plan a sequence
of movements to achieve specific tasks, such as
navigating through a room and picking up objects.
Shakey demonstrated the integration of perception,
reasoning and action, a milestone in autonomous
robotics. Shakey's ability to reason and make decisions set the stage for modern robots capable of
complex tasks in dynamic environments.

1973 – WABOT-1: The First Humanoid Robot
In 1973, Ichiro Kato and his team at Waseda University in Japan introduced WABOT-1,
the first large-scale humanoid robot. WABOT-1 was designed to communicate in
Japanese and measure distance and direction to objects using sensors, making it
capable of moving autonomously in its environment. This milestone in humanoid
robotics was significant because it marked the first time a robot was designed to
mimic human-like abilities, such as walking and interacting with its surroundings,
opening the door for future developments in humanoid robotics.

1984 – WABOT-2: The Successor

In 1984, WABOT-2, the successor to WABOT-1, was introduced.
Designed by Waseda University, WABOT-2 was capable of playing
a keyboard instrument, the electronic organ and could read
and interpret musical scores. This development demonstrated
advanced motor control and cognitive abilities in robots, including
the ability to perform intricate tasks that required precision and
understanding of complex patterns. WABOT-2's ability to read
and play music was a major step forward in integrating AI with
human-like tasks.

Pioneers in the Field of AI 13