In the 1920s, Czech playwright Karel Čapek introduced the word “robot” in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). Derived from the Czech word “robota,” meaning forced labor, the term described artificial humans created to work in factories. A century later, robots and automation systems have transcended science fiction to become integral parts of our world—manufacturing our goods, exploring distant planets, performing delicate surgeries, and even vacuuming our homes.