The concept of a humanoid robot originated in many different cultures around the world. Some of the earliest accounts of the idea of humanoid
automata date to the 4th century
BCE in
Greek mythologies and various religious and philosophical texts from China. Physical prototypes of humanoid automata were later created in the
Middle East,
Italy,
Japan,
France and
South Korea.
Greece The Greek god of blacksmiths,
Hephaestus, created several different humanoid automata in various myths. In Homer's
Iliad, Hephaestus created golden handmaidens and imbued them with human-like voices to serve as speaking tools or instruments. Another Greek myth details how Hephaestus crafted a giant bronze
automaton named
Talos to protect the
island of Crete from invaders.
China In the 3rd century BCE, a
Taoist philosophical text called the
Liezi, written by Chinese philosopher
Lie Yukou, detailed the idea of a humanoid automaton. The text includes mention of an engineer named Yan Shi who created a life-size, human-like robot for the fifth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty,
King Mu. The robot was primarily constructed of leather and wood. It was capable of walking, singing, and moving all parts of its body. Another automaton he created was used for hand washing to refill a basin with water after being drained.
Italy with inner workings In the 1400s,
Leonardo da Vinci conceptualized a complex mechanical robot clad in a suit of armor, capable of sitting, standing, and independently moving its arms. The entire robot was operated by a system of pulleys and cables.
Japan From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Japanese built humanoid automata called
karakuri puppets. These puppets resembled dolls and were used for entertainment in theatre, homes, and religious festivals.
Karakuri puppets that were used for theater plays were called
butai karakuri. Small
karakuri puppets found in homes, called
zashiki kurakuri, were placed on tables to dance, beat drums, or serve drinks.
France In the 18th century, French inventor
Jacques de Vaucanson created a significant humanoid automaton called
The Flute Player. This wooden, human-sized robot was capable of playing various melodies with the flute. It consisted of a system of bellows, pipes, weights, and other mechanical components to simulate to the muscles necessary to play the flute.
South Korea KAIST's research team developed Hubo, South Korea's first humanoid robot, and Professor Oh Jun-ho, who led the team, founded
Rainbow Robotics in 2011. In early 2025, the
South Korean government formed the K-Humanoid Alliance, an alliance of the companies, researchers, and talents. ==Applications==