Engelberger, Joseph F.

Engelberger, Joseph F. (Frederick)

(1925– ) roboticist, manufacturer; born in New York City. Considered the father of robotics, he and inventor George Devol founded Unimation, Inc., (1958–83) and produced the first industrial robot for General Motors (1961). He founded Transitions Research Corporation (1984), which, while continuing to develop industrial robots, has also designed and built service robots for hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes, and other applications.