The ancient Greeks were among the first people to create automata, machines that imitate the motions of humans and animals. Hero of Alexandria wrote extensively about automata and invented several special devices for the miniature stage during his experiments on mechanics and pneumatics. Over the centuries, automata moved beyond one-piece wooden characters on miniature stages.

In the twelfth century, Islamic craftsman and hydraulic engineer Ismaeel al-Jazari spent much of his spare time incorporating cogs, gears, cams, ratchets, pulleys, levers, and for the first mention in history, the crankshaft, into designing unusual timepieces. One of his designs marked the hour with an orchestra of figures that beat drums, clashed cymbals, and blew trumpets. This piece was much more elaborate and complicated than the European timepieces of the period.

Automata eventually developed into larger, more complex, and often very finely crafted works of art. Some of these became known as...