U.S. #5517
Issue Date: August 20, 2020
First Day City: Bellefonte, PA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Hot Foil Stamping
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 14,000,000
Many of us dream of having a robot to take care of housework while we relax. While technology is not quite to that point yet, the field of robotics has come a long way since it began.
The theories needed to develop the first robots were formed by Norbert Wienert in 1948. However, it was not until later in the 20th century that those theories were applied. In fact, the first digitally operated, programmable robot did not appear until 1961. It was called the "Unimate" and was programmed to pick up hot metal and stack it in piles. This was the beginning of using robots in factories and other industrial settings. Since then, robots have been used more often for these types of tasks.
Now, robots are commonly used in the military, medical field, food service industry, and many other areas. Robots also perform tasks too dangerous for humans, such as diffusing bombs, performing tasks in areas with high levels of radiation, and more.
In 2020, the United States Postal Service issued a set of five Innovation stamps, including one design honoring robotics. Robots have been making our lives easier for decades, and society would look a lot different today without the many advances robotics has made. Who knows? One day we really might have personal robots in every home!