Ancient robots
What do you think of when you read the word ‘robot’? Many
people think about big machines in car factories or futuristic
monsters in films. Few of us think about the past. But people
were building incredible machines with human abilities
hundreds of years ago!
For example, Egyptian texts from 1100 BC mention moving
statues which ‘chose’ the next king. None of these statues exists,
but probably they were built using the ancient Egyptians’
mechanical technology.
Another ancient robot was a big robotic arm called “The Claw”.
The ancient Greek writer Polybius wrote about it in 213 BC. It
was built during a war with the Romans, and it hung over the
city wall towards the sea. When a Roman ship came close, the
arm picked up the front of the ship and lifted it into the air. Then
the boat fell backwards into the sea and sank. Again, we don’t
know if the machine was really built, but it was possible with
Ancient Greek technology.
Another ancient Greek inventor, Philon of Byzantium, built a
female robot at about the same time. If someone placed a cup in
her hand, it mixed water and wine to make a drink. But the robot
wasn’t popular because people didn’t need robots to work. They
had lots of slaves.
The famous artist Leonardo da Vinci loved designing robots.
Few of his ideas were built, but his plans are very detailed. One
modern-day robot engineer, Mark Rosheim, still uses them to
get ideas when designing robots for NASA! One of da Vinci’s
robots was a lion. He built it for the king of France in 1515. It
could walk and present flowers! In 2009, engineers used the
plans to build it again. It worked perfectly.
After that, more and more mechanical robots were built. They
did more and more difficult tasks, such as playing the flute,
writing and drawing a picture. Although modern technology has
moved on, these historical robots still amaze people today.
Online test to check your understanding : https://test-
english.com/reading/a2/ancient-robots-reading-test/
Questions
True or False Questions
1. People usually think about the past when they read the word
“robot”.
(.……)
2. Ancient Egyptians may have used machines to move statues.
(.……)
3. “The Claw” was used to help Roman ships. (.……)
4. The Greek robot “The Claw” could lift ships. (.……)
5. Philon’s robot mixed drinks automatically. (.……)
6. Ancient people used robots instead of slaves. (.……)
7. Leonardo da Vinci made a robot lion. (.……)
8. The lion robot could sing and dance. (.……)
9. Leonardo's robot plans are not useful today. (.……)
10. Historical robots can still surprise people now. (.……)
Multiple Choice Questions
What do people think of when they hear the word “robot”?
a. Small toys
b. Machines in car factories
c. Animals
When were the Egyptian moving statues mentioned?
a. 1100 BC
b. 1500 AD
c. 213 BC
What did “The Claw” do to the Roman ships?
a. Cleaned them
b. Painted them
c. Lifted them into the air
Who wrote about “The Claw”?
a. Leonardo da Vinci
b. Mark Rosheim
c. Polybius
What did Philon’s robot do?
a. Cooked food
b. Mixed drinks
c. Played music
Why didn’t people use Philon’s robot much?
a. It was too expensive
b. They had slaves
c. It was dangerous
Who designed a robot lion?
a. Philon
b. Polybius
c. Leonardo da Vinci
What could the robot lion do?
a. Fly
b. Walk and give flowers
c. Cook
Who used da Vinci’s robot ideas in modern times?
a. A French king
b. A Roman soldier
c. Mark Rosheim
What kind of things could later robots do?
a. Sing and dance
b. Play the flute and draw
c. Swim and fly
WH-Questions
What do people usually think about when they hear “robot”?
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What did the robot “The Claw” do to ships?
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Who built a robot that could mix drinks?
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Why didn’t people use robots much in ancient Greece?
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How do da Vinci’s plans help people today?
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