Famous as the inventor of Unimate, the first automatic robot to be used for industrial purposes, Devol was a key figure in the development of modern-day robotics and was also one of the first testers of microwave technology.
Early in his career as an inventor, he opened a business called United Cinephone that aimed to profit from the then-new "talkie" film industry.
During World War II, he founded a company -- General Electronics Industries -- that manufactured devices used for military anti-radar purposes.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he later lived and worked in Connecticut and Florida. He died at the age of ninety-nine and was survived by four children.
He and Matthew Mason are both known for their work in the robotics field.
