Etymology.

The word robotics was first used in print by Isaac Asimov, in his science fiction short story "Runaround", published in March 1942 in Astounding Science Fiction. However, Asimov was unaware that he was coining a new term. The design of electrical devices is called electronics, so the design of robots is called robotics. Before the coining of the term, however, there was interest in ideas similar to robotics (namely automata and androids) dating as far back as 400 BC, with the work of Archytas of Tarentum and his mechanical Pigeon. Robotics are used in industrial, military, exploration, home making, and academic and research applications.