Asimov

Isaac asimov wrote a great many stories featuring and staring robots. He developed a fictional robot science based upon his creation the Positronic Brain. As he developed his ideas he also developed the Three Laws of Robotics. These laws were so fundamental to the structure of the positronic brain that a robot could not break one of the laws without shorting out it’s brain and thus destroy itself.

The Three Laws of Robotics are:

  • A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
     
  • A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
     
  • A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
     
  • In “Robots and Empire” the fictional Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, 2058 A.D. cites the Zeroth Law as:
    • A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
       
  • The Zeroth Law only applied to late model robots capable of understanding the concepts.

    Asimov always said that the Three Laws were originated by John W. Campbell in a conversation they had in 1940 but Campbell, in turn, maintained that he picked them out of Asimov's earliest stories, and that all he did was state them explicitly.
     

    • Isaac Asimov’s home page is maintained at http://www.asimovonline.com/

    [ Home] [About Us] [Systems] [Software Review]
    Google
      Web www.adit.co.uk