Introduction

Mankind has been fascinated with automation since time immemorial.

Tales of artificial beings and mechanical devices abound from Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. Archytas of Tarentum created a majestic ,¹ often credited as the first automata. The Banu Musa brothers and Al Jazari published books on ,² and created wooden prototypes like the .³

Leonardo Da Vinci designed a ⁴ that could independently maneuver its mechanical appendages, and Descartes was known to have been fascinated with .⁵ At the turn of the 20th century Nikola Tesla demonstrated a ,⁶ showcasing early innovations in robotic control systems.

In 1863, Samuel Butler published "Darwin among the Machines," an ⁷ suggesting that machines might eventually become conscious and supplant humans. In it he introduced the idea of classifying robots but considered the undertaking beyond his capabilities:

"We regret deeply that our knowledge both of natural history and of machinery is too small to enable us to undertake the gigantic task of classifying machines into the genera and sub-genera, species, varieties and sub-varieties, and so forth...We can only point out this field for investigation..."

Over a century and a half later, I have endeavored to undertake this critical task. It has never been more important and pertinent, as a precursor to the automation age that is upon us.

As a roboticist, inventor of the  ,⁸ mentor at Singularity University, and robotics expert to Wefunder, I have spent the better part of a decade working in the robotics field and pondering the nature of robots. Do they deserve to be defined by biological markers? How can we differentiate between a mechanical android versus one with synthetic skin? Are robots simply advanced machines that serve as tools for humanity? Will they eventually join the fabric of human society as our agents, advisors, assistants, maids, nurses, and partners? Will they be our servants, equals or superiors? Will we merge with them to become human-robot hybrids? When robots become superintelligent will they be regarded as sentient? How can we even define sentience? What is a robot?

In this treatise I aim to better define what a robot truly is and find answers to these questions by exploring the order and evolution of robotkind. From mere automatons to sophisticated androids, robotkind is poised to erupt in the coming years. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are giving robots the capacity for thought, and a level of social interaction never before possible.

Systema Robotica serves as humanity’s guide to a better understanding and coexistence with robots in a future of non-human superintelligences. The treatise is broken down into three sections:

1. Natura Robotica—Defining the true nature of robots, as compared to machines, artificial intelligence, humans, and cyborgs

2. Structura Robotica—Proposing three evolutionary realms to better classify past, present, and future robots in the definitive Robot Taxonomy

3. Futura Robotica—Exploring the societal roles of robots, artificial superintelligence, and sentience in robots