The word "robot" comes from Karel Capek's play, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) [written 1920; first performed 1921; performed in New York1922; English edition published 1923]. In the play, the word refers to artificially created life forms. [1] (http://www.uwec.edu/academic/curric/jerzdg/RUR/)
Androids, fully organic in nature -- the products of genetic engineering -- and so human-like that they can only be distinguished by psychological tests; some of them don't even know that they're not human. -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1968) by Philip K. Dick
The drones Huey, Duey, and Louie, in Silent Running[?] (1972). Notable as the first movie in which non-anthropomorphic robots were made mobile by manning them with amputees.
... - ancient Egyptian who travelled along the Red Sea to a land called Punt
Sven Hedin[?], (1865-1952), explorer
Bjarni Herjulfsson[?] - Viking discoverer ...