• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
SRI logo
  • About
    • Press room
    • Our history
  • Expertise
    • Advanced imaging systems
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Biomedical R&D services
    • Biomedical sciences
    • Computer vision
    • Cyber & formal methods
    • Education and learning
    • Innovation strategy and policy
    • National security
    • Ocean & space
    • Quantum
    • QED-C
    • Robotics, sensors & devices
    • Speech & natural language
    • Video test & measurement
  • Ventures
  • NSIC
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • 日本支社
Search
Close
Case study November 22, 2021

The man, the myth, the legend: Meet Shakey the robot, the world’s first AI-based robot

How a giant box on wheels sparked the robotic revolution


THE CHALLENGE

Until the 1960s, the idea of robots was largely shaped by Hollywood’s wild imagination. Think Astro Boy, but with the advancements in computers and technologies. Charles Rosen, a pioneering researcher of artificial intelligence (AI) at SRI International, and his team, brought that imagination to life and set out to push the limits on what robots could achieve.

THE SOLUTION

Meet Shakey, the world’s first autonomous robot to move around, make human-like decisions on the fly and take action. Created by researchers at SRI, Shakey earned legendary status for its combination of robotics and AI in one system. It also teased the powerful potential of robots. You can thank Shakey for inspiring countless technologies such as, cell phones, global positioning systems (GPS), Roomba and self-driving vehicles.

Named lovingly for its trembly movements, Shakey was developed at SRI International between 1966 and 1972 and became famous for being the first AI-based mobile robot to accomplish a task without the need for step-by-step instructions.

YouTube player
Shakey the robot: The first robot to embody artificial intelligence

A giant box set on wheels, Shakey is equipped with a TV camera, an antenna radio link, detectors and bumpers to visually interpret its environment and figure out how to complete a task given by a user. This is done by locating items, navigating around them and reasoning about its actions to complete the task.

Perhaps Rosen and his team’s greatest accomplishments with Shakey were their groundbreaking work in the areas of AI techniques, programming, computer vision, natural language interactions and the novel approach to layering architecture in robots — all algorithms that have inspired and are used in modern technology today.

After forging a new frontier in AI and robotics, Shakey was retired from duty and now calls the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, home. Shakey was also deservedly inducted into Carnegie Mellon University’s Robot Hall of Fame in 2004 and has been honored with a prestigious IEEE Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing.

Share this

How can we help?

Once you hit send…

We’ll match your inquiry to the person who can best help you.

Expect a response within 48 hours.

Career call to action image

Make your own mark.

Search jobs

Our work

Case studies

Publications

Timeline of innovation

Areas of expertise

Institute

Leadership

Press room

Media inquiries

Compliance

Careers

Job listings

Contact

SRI Ventures

Our locations

Headquarters

333 Ravenswood Ave
Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA

+1 (650) 859-2000

Subscribe to our newsletter


日本支社
SRI International
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • DMCA
  • Copyright © 2022 SRI International