The First Robot Was Built to Serve Tea - Apparently.
In 1739, the English inventor William Vaucanson created a mechanical duck that could serve tea, a precursor to modern robotics. The duck-like robot was powered by a system of levers and pulleys and could pour tea into a cup. While its tea-serving abilities were more novelty than practical, the mechanical duck marked an early experiment in automating tasks with mechanical devices. Vaucanson's invention is often cited as one of the first robots in history.