In the robotics family tree, Roomba's ancestor was probably the cybernetic tortoise invented in the 1940s by neurophysiologist W. Grey Walter. The turtle-shaped robot could “see” by means of a rotating photocell that steered it toward a light source. If the light was too bright, it would retreat and continue its exploration in a new direction. Likewise, when it ran into an obstacle, a touch sensor would compel the tortoise to reverse and change course. In this way, the robot explored its surroundings. Designed to model simple animal behavior, the tortoise may have satisfied Walter's scientific curiosity, but he never got it to vacuum his floor.

中文翻译：

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Proto-Roomba - [过去前进]


在机器人家族树中，Roomba 的祖先可能是神经生理学家 W. Gray Walter 在 20 世纪 40 年代发明的控制论乌龟。乌龟形状的机器人可以通过旋转光电管将其引向光源来“看到”。如果光线太亮，它就会后退，继续向新的方向探索。同样，当它遇到障碍物时，触摸传感器会迫使乌龟倒车并改变路线。就这样，机器人探索了周围的环境。这只乌龟旨在模拟简单的动物行为，它可能满足了沃尔特的科学好奇心，但他从未用它来吸地板。