First Glimpse of Robotics Classes at Poly
Considering that we now know schools like Rensselaer and Carnegie Mellon were first introducing classes on robotics and automation in the 1950s-1960s, when was Brooklyn Poly, and what did they first introduce (Inigo & Angulo, 1985)? Poly’s brochures did not mention robotics as an advertisement until the 1980s, however, the first ever mention of robotics education at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute would be the CS756 “Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence” and the SA788 “Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence” classes introduced in the 1975 course catalogs, where the word “robots” is mentioned in both courses (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1975-1976). These classes, however, focus on the theoretical and potential programming of robotics rather than on the actual design or creation of robotic mechanical systems.
CS 756 Artificial Intelligence Class (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1975-1976)
SA 788 Artificial Intelligence Class (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1975-1976)
While these classes are a start, they still reflect investments in computer science (CS) at the time more than in robotics research and development. The only other class ever mentioning robotics in the early stages was CS 662 “Artificial Intelligence II” in the 1977-1978 course catalogs, which further studies automation, robotics, and theorems, but is essentially just a continuation of the classes above.
CS 662 Artificial Intelligence II (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1977-1978)
This same class, CS 662, with the same course number, is listed throughout up to the 1979-1981 and 1981-1983 course catalogs, with no changes to other classes or prerequisites, and it is the only course in the entire catalogs to mention the word “robot” at this time (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1979-1981). Poly initially considered robotics a purely computer science discipline, not investing time or money in the other aspects of engineering that robotics involves.
This 1988 computer science brochure also mentions the class and its prerequisite, CS661, which does not mention robotics.
Computer Science Brochure, CS662 (Polytechnic University, 1988)
However, once 1985 rolls around, we finally have several new courses related to robotics, not just in Computer Science. This set of course catalogs now not only has CS 662 listed, but professor Evelyn Gall Roman is mentioned as a computer science professor of robotics, a technology and society course is listed as investigating trends in robotics, a blurb on manufacturing mentioning robotics, and an introduction to robotics elective in industrial engineering that mentions robotics five times in the course description (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985). Here, we can see Poly finally understanding the interdisciplinary aspect of robotics as not just a computer science subset of engineering.
Evelyn Gail Roman, Robotics (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985)
Technology and Society Class, Robotics (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985)
Manufacturing Engineering, Robotics (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985)
Introduction to Robotics Elective (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985)
Introduction to Robotics Elective (Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1983-1985)
Finally, in 1986-1989, when Polytechnic Institute of New York became Polytechnic University, we saw real substantial progress in robotics at Poly. There are over 36 mentions of robotics throughout the course catalogs, with multiple professors listed as robotics experts and a variety of robotics labs and courses mentioned across different engineering disciplines (Polytechnic University, 1986-1989). Across all 36 mentions, robotics is primarily discussed within the mechanical engineering discipline, with other elements of robotics mentioned in four different subjects. This is the first time Poly seems to understand what robotics means to engineering and its importance across all disciplines.
In 1999-2001, we even started to see more courses in robotics relating to seemingly unrelated disciplines like civil engineering and construction methods with “CE 831 Engineering for Construction I: Methods and Technologies,” where the course directly cites the review of conventional construction equipment and trends in robotics (Polytechnic University, 1999-2001). While Poly finally picked up the pace in robotics advancement, it took considerably longer than most other top institutions at the time to implement robust robotics education initiatives. It took Poly almost 10 years to offer even just one non-CS-related robotics course. These course catalogs also give us insight into Poly’s viewpoint on where robotics fits on the engineering spectrum, first emerging in the CS world but eventually landing in the electrical and mechanical engineering disciplines more than in others.
Carnegie Mellon University first established its Robotics Institute in 1979, offering a variety of courses before that (University, 2024). Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) was facilitating robotics research and education as early as 1963. In 1988, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute opened the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) after offering courses for a decade (University, Stanford, & California 94305, n.d.; Polytechnic Institute, 2017). We know that Brooklyn Poly was struggling financially during its first merger, but why were they so slow to adapt to new advances in robotics? Not even adding any non-CS related robotics coursework until 1985, when other similar universities were already establishing entire centers dedicated to robotics. Considering all the financial difficulties the school was going through until the 1970s-80s, it makes a lot of sense that, after the merger was established, the school was unlikely to make such a risky investment in an emerging niche industry right away, when it had other problems to worry about. Robotics wasn’t seen as valuable at the time to Poly, even though they were starting to realize how much it spans across all engineering disciplines and how much other universities were investing into them, but robotics wasn’t being inputted into people’s daily lives compared to civil or mechanical engineering, so it didn’t seem like a priority to Poly for an investment considering they were having problems already.