For all robotic aficionados, this popped up within the June 7, 2026, morning version of JSTOR Day by day, highlighting an article written in Might by Livia Gershon:
“Did the First Robotic Come from Oz?”
In that case, then I nominate it for the title of “The Nice Grandad of Artificially Clever Robots” and have gained a newfound appreciation for foundational literature akin to The Wizard of Oz collection.
I by no means considered The Wizard of Oz (guide or film) as a chunk of science fiction, however this text has me now appreciating it as such.
What Frank Baum, in 1907, created has engaged the minds of individuals throughout many generations. With the 1939 launch of the now traditional (and endlessly rebroadcasted) movie on by means of the wonderful rebirth of the story at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Tin Man has turn into a chief instance of how we expect an clever robotic ought to look—and behave.
Distinction this with the dystopian view offered within the traditional film made by Fritz Lang in 1927, Metropolis.
Sure, habits issues in how we consider robotic functions as we speak, particularly with the rise of the dialogue about robotic “warriors” getting used as substitutes for people in army conflicts. Did The Terminator movie collection give momentum to this initiative? The Tin Man was useful to Dorothy and buddies. Will this carry ahead into the way forward for AI-infused robotic deployments? Or will we be operating and hiding from a Terminator.
Concerning the Writer
Tim Lindner develops multimodal know-how options (voice / augmented actuality / RF scanning) that target assembly or exceeding logistics and provide chain clients’ productiveness enchancment aims. He may be reached at linkedin.com/in/timlindner.