__THE USBORNE BOW A TRIP IM TIME TO THE YEAR 2000 AWD BEYONDRobot explorers Already cutomatic spaceprobeshave landed on, or flown by, most ofthe planets inthe Solar System. Inthe future, robot exploration teamslike the one shown here could prepare the way for humans to follow. Inthispicture agroup of robots is erecting the domes of a planetary base. By the time the human explorers arrive, theirquarters will be warmed and ready tolive in. ‘Tothe right, you cansee three-legged robot of type which might be used for long-range reconnaissance.PART ONE ROBOTS SCIENCE & MEDICINE INTO THE 2ist CENTURY INTRODUCTION Inthis first section of the book, you machine in the shape of aman. The The name was used ina 1920 play can see some of the ideas which real robots will come in allshapesand called R.U.R.—Rossum’s Universal scientists are suggesting as waysto _sizes,according to the jobthey are Robots, in which mass-produced solve problems such asthe energy designed for. Anarithmetic robotof robots in human form turn on their crisisand global pollution. today, forexample, does not look like creators and exterminate them, Robots, which form the central __amaths teacher—it is small, Since then, many stories have been -me, will help mankind run an rectangular and its*face’ has buttons written about warlike robots. If you reasingly complex world. Few of on. tis calledan electronic ‘count the guidance computers aboard these machines, using advanced calculator. nuclear missiles as simple robots, computersystems as their‘brains’will _ The word‘robot’ comes from the then those stories have, in part, look like the popular image ofa robot, Czech word robota’ meaning'labour’. come true.