How William Shockley’s Robot Dream Helped Launch Silicon Valley

How William Shockley’s Robot Dream Helped Launch Silicon Valley

The physicist envisioned robots replacing human workers

Photo: Robert W. Kelley/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Robot Dreamer: The physicist William Shockley [shown in a 1963 photo] had many interesting ideas during his long career but perhaps none quite so sci-fi as his vision of a robotic workforce that would replace humans on factory floors and in the home. His passion for robotics and automation would form the backdrop for his decision to leave a successful career at Bell Labs and strike out for the West Coast. There, in 1955, he founded the first silicon electronics lab of what would […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.