Britannica Sources used in this answer

Who invented the Unimate industrial robot?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Unimate industrial robot was invented in 1954 by the American engineer George C. Devol.12

While Devol originated the design for the programmable manipulator and secured the patent, the development and commercialization of the machine were driven by his partnership with businessman Joseph F. Engelberger. Together, they founded the company Unimation, Inc. in 1956 to promote and manufacture the technology for industrial use. The first production-line Unimate was installed in 1961 at a General Motors factory to perform the task of removing and stacking hot metal parts from a die-casting machine.12