Born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 26, 1925, Joseph Frederick Engelberger grew up to become the father of the modern robotics industry. Together with inventor George Devol he developed the first industrial robot in the United States under the brand name Unimate. The technology was originally adopted in a General Motors plant in 1961 and was later deployed at factories worldwide, where it transformed modern manufacturing processes.

In 1966 the Unimate robot appeared on Johnny Carson's “The Tonight Show” where it demonstrated its dexterity by sinking a golf putt, pouring a beer, and directing the band.

Engelberger’s industrial applications fundamentally changed the automotive manufacturing sector, introducing robotics that enabled carmakers to achieve greater efficiency and precision with the use of robotic arms on assembly lines. His innovations were a major factor in the rise of the Japanese auto industry. He has written a few books too that are now considered seminal texts on robotics.