Abstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss the modern value of the automata designs by Heron and to stress the power of Antiquity mechanical design of mechanisms in dealing not only with operation tasks. In addition, an interpretation is proposed to understand those automata as early robots for a proper inspiration of new solutions as technological transfer of accumulated theoretical knowledge and for credit as systems of cultural contents. The paper shows main designs supporting the above arguments and a specific interpretation on how Heron merged successfully automation technology with cultural values.
Keywords
R. Bragastini—Retired professor.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
It is convenient to give a clear explanation of the word ‘engineer’, that although coined with the current technical meaning at the beginning of 19th century is used also when referring to machine design in the Antiquity. According to the Greek language the word "engineer" is linked to the word "architecture" that means "some-one who produces something", but also in the town of Athene the meaning was "a man obliged to maintain a theatre in good order". An engineer in Greek also means "Mekanopoios" which comes from the word "mechanè" whose meaning is "something coming down from the sky" and this explains why the Romans used to say the sentence: "Deus ex machina". Engine also means expedient or trick, and in fact, Vitruvius, Roman architect, gave to the word "engineer" the meaning "machinator" which means "fraud upholder". (see also: Marco Ceccarelli and Roberto Bragastini, Historical accounts on the figure of engineers and academic mission for their formation, New Trends in Educational Activity in the Field of Mechanism and Machine Science, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 3–10, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01836-2_1.
- 2.
Comment by Roberto Bragastini (today 93 years old): one of my life dreams came true by getting two degrees: the first degree in Mechanical Engineering and the second one in Science Philosophy. This HMM international symposium gives me the opportunity to present Heron' self-moving automaton under a different point of view that frankly may be a too personal view over one of my conjecture on form and substance of machine design.
References
Singer C et al (eds) (2013) History of Technology. Bollati Boringhieri, Turin (in Italian)
Capocaccia AA (ed) (1977) History of Technique. UTET, Turin (In Italian)
James P, Thorpe N (1994) Ancient Inventions. Ballantine Books, New York
Bautista Paz E, Ceccarelli M, Echavarri Otero J, Munoz Sanz JJ (2010) A brief illustrated history of machines and mechanisms, series: history of machines and machine science. Springer, Dordrecht
Loria G (1914) Le scienze esatte nell’antica Grecia, 2ª ed., Milano. (in Italian)
Derry TK, Williams TI (1993) A Short History of Technology: From the Earliest Times to A.D. 1900. Dover Publications, New York
Lloyd GER (1973) Greek Science After Aristotle. W.W. Norton and Co., New York
Marsden EW (1971) Greek and Roman Artillery: Technical Treatises. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Tuplin CJ, Rihl TE (2002) Science and Mathematics in Ancient Greek Culture. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Ceccarelli M, De Paolis P (2008) A brief account on roman machines and cultural frames. In: Proceedings of HMM2008 - the third IFToMM international symposium on history of machines and mechanisms, pp 83–100. Springer, Dordrecht
Drachmann AG (1948) Ktesibios, philon, heron: a study in ancient pneumatics
Heath TL (1921) A history of Greek mathematics, Londo
Cantor M (1908) Vorlesungen über Geschichte der Mathematik I, Leipzig
Neugebauer O (1975) A history of ancient mathematical astronomy, NewYork
Papadopoulos E (2007) Heron of alexandria (c. 10–85 AD). In: Ceccarelli M (ed) Distinguished figures in mechanism and machine science, pp 217–245. Springer, Dordrecht
Heron of Alexandria. Biography in Encyclopaedia Treccani. http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/erone-d-alessandria
Heron of Alexandria. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica, Web. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9040189/Heron-of-Alexandria
Drachmann AG, Mahoney MS (1970) Biography in dictionary of scientific biography, charles scribner and sons, 1970–1990
Aleotti GB (1589) Gli artifitiosi et curiosi moti spiritali di Herrone Hero Alexandrinus, Vittorio Baldini Stam, Ferrara
Baldi B (1601) Di Herone Alesadrino de gli Automati, GioBattista Bertoni libraro, Venetia
Baldi B (1589) Di Herone Alessandrino De gli automati, ouero machine se mouenti, libri due, tradotti dal greco da Bernardino Baldi abbate di Guastalla. Author, Heron (Alexandrinus.) appresso Girolamo Porro
Heiberg JL (1912) Heronis Alexandrini Opera quae supersunt omnia, Teubner Series, Leipzig
Schmidt W (1899) Heronis Alexandrini Opera quae supersunt omnia, Vol. I and Supplement, Teubner Series, Leipzig
Paipetis S (ed) (2017) The Greek legacy in mechanical engineering for its development and promotion. In: The influence of Greek thought on philosophy, science and technology. Avatar publication, Athens
Ceccarelli M (2004) Fundamentals of mechanics of robotic manipulation. Kluwer/Springer, Dordrecht. ISBN 1-4020-1810-X
Ceccarelli M (2018) Innovation challenges for mechanism design. Mech. Mach. Theory 125:94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2017.11.026
Bragastini R (2003) Contributions for a philosophical interpretation of the work of Franz Reuleaux. Mater thesis, University of Milan, April. (in Italian)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bragastini, R., Ceccarelli, M. (2019). Mechanisms in Heron’s Automata as Technological Transfer and Cultural Means. In: Zhang, B., Ceccarelli, M. (eds) Explorations in the History and Heritage of Machines and Mechanisms. History of Mechanism and Machine Science, vol 37. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03538-9_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03538-9_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03537-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03538-9
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)