4: History of robots

This was one of the first robots - the robot's name was Elektro and his dog's name was Sparko. They appeared at the New York World's Fair in 1939. 

While plugged in, Elektro could say 77 words and move backwards and forwards.

The word "robot", a Czeck term for forced labour or serf, was introduced by a man called Karl Capek in the 1920s.  He needed a term to call the "artificial workers" in a play that he was writing. 

Hence, the word 'robot' came into common usage.