An automaton is a machine that can move and perform tasks with a certain autonomy.
The first meaning that the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) mentions of the term automaton refers to the device that has an internal mechanism that allows it to perform certain movements or perform certain tasks .
For example: “The brand new vehicle presented by the German company offers the possibility of automated driving” , “Yesterday I bought an automated coffee maker that turns on at the programmed time and prepares the coffee on its own” , “The government acquired three automated drilling machines from advanced technology to explore the subsoil in search of hydrocarbons.”
Robot that imitates a living being
The concept is also used to name the humanoid or animal-like robot that imitates the body movements of the living being . “A Japanese firm designed an automaton capable of cleaning the house,” “Entrepreneurs dream of automatons that replace human workers to reduce costs,” “They open a restaurant where the food is prepared by automatons.”
The first automata emerged thousands of years ago, with very limited functionalities. In the Middle Ages, the complexity of these machines advanced until, in the 18th century , there was a boom. Nowadays there are automatons that can successfully perform different tasks typical of humans , and even replace them in some contexts.
A humanoid robot can be referred to as an automaton.
Automaton as negative rating
Automaton, on the other hand, is the adjective given to individuals who act thoughtlessly .
“Thousands of people walk around looking at their phones, like automatons”, “Can you stop answering like an automaton and pay attention to what I'm telling you?” y “I don't want an automaton president who limits himself to obeying the orders of the powerful” son expresiones que muestran este uso.
The concept in literature
In the book titled "The White University" , published in 2015 by the Valencian writer Ismael Belda , one of the stories is about the adventures of a human -like automaton that walks through California and, among the most interesting events that happen to it, , he has the opportunity to converse with the ghosts of Vlad Tepes and the Marquis de Sade . It is a novel written in verse that, together with a kind of songbook, complements the extensive poem that serves as its centerpiece.
Within the world of literature, it is not possible to ignore the immense work of Isaac Asimov , the celebrated writer of Russian origin who has left behind a series of works of great importance for science . Thanks to cinema, some of his stories have reached more people, and the topic of automata was undoubtedly one of those that fascinated him the most.
The film "Automata"
In addition to the film "I, Robot" , starring the American actor Will Smith , in 2014 "Autómata" was released, with the Spanish Antonio Banderas leading the cast. It is a science fiction story that, like the first, reflects on the laws of robotics defined by Asimov and what could happen if a robot stopped obeying any of them.
The plot takes us to the year 2044 and shows us the life of Jacq Vaucan , an insurance agent who is in the middle of an investigation into the malfunctioning of certain robots in a multi-million dollar company called ROC .
As time passes, Vaucan begins to discover a facet of automatons that he did not expect to see: just as in the movie "I, Robot" , they believe they are alive, to be more than mere devices with artificial intelligence . Both stories share certain elements, although "Automata" presents a reality more typical of the end of the world.
Although in reality scientists have not managed to create automatons as complex as the characters in these films, the contradiction between the search for a high level of intelligence and the fear that it will be used to turn against human beings is a concern. that they share with fiction .