Science Fiction
Dictionary
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Timeline of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)

Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.

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1600-1899  1900-1929  1930's  1940's  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000+

Date Device Name (Novel Author)
1950 Tractatruck (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell)
Combination tractor and truck used for hauling and exploration.
1950 Heat Trap (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
Using the greenhouse effect to terraform a planet or moon.
1950 Diaheliper (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
Offers delivery of diapers by air.
1950 Tri-D (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
A remarkable pesticide.
1950 Anti-Tri-D Shot (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
Counteracts the deadly pesticide Tri-D.
1950 Gravity Drive (from Star Ship by Poul Anderson)
A spaceship propulsion method that uses gravity or gravity waves.
1950 Self-Adjusting Furniture (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak)
Automatic adjustment for a perfect fit.
1950 Robotic Chess Expert (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak)
A robot that plays chess at a level that no human can match.
1950 Mentophone (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak)
A device that facilitates long-distance telepathy.
1950 Robot Rabbit (from Robots Don't Bleed by J.W. Groves)
A robotic bunny.
1950 Robotic Dishwasher (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A fully automated solution to the dishwashing problem.
1950 The Machines (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov)
A few of these can run a planetary economy.
1950 Building With Lunar Materials (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell)
Using a planet's materials to make what you need.
1950 Earther (from The Five Gold Bands by Jack Vance)
A person born on planet Earth.
1950 FTL (from The Enchanted Forest by Fritz Leiber)
Abbreviation for "faster than light".
1950 Nucleocat Cureall (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
Only human cells can survive contact.
1950 Shipboard Medical Treatment (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
An elaborate system to guard against infection in returning space explorers.
1950 Regeneration Tank (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
A nutrient bath large enough to enclose a person that preserved life and treated disease.
1950 Water From Lunar Gypsum (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell)
Extracting water (and therefore oxygen, by electrolysis) from apparently dry lunar material.
1950 Black Bag (from The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth)
A medical kit from the future.
1950 Palm Key-Plate (from The Stars are The Styx by Theodore Sturgeon)
A plate that accepts palms that have been verified.
1950 Zag House (from Time Quarry by Clifford Simak)
A means of implanting dreams.
1950 Fontema (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A strange two 'wheeled' animal.
1950 Voice-Clock (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A clock that could state the time out loud.
1950 Robot Mice (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
Tiny cleaning robots.
1950 Culture Tank (from Needle by Hal Clement)
Germs that eat garbage and produce oil.
1950 Hybrid Mass Driver (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein)
A device for launching space craft on the first stage of a journey to space.
1950 Stratovideo (Television Plane) (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
An aircraft with studios that continuously broadcast line-of-sight television.
1950 Space Platform (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
The Space Platform for Checking Aggression is a military orbital weapons platform.
1950 Automatic Light Switch (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein)
A device that senses if an illuminated room is empty, and turns off the light.
1950 Torch (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
The orifice from which issued the reaction mass of an atomic powered space craft.
1950 Helicab (from Heli-Cab Hack by John Weston)
A taxi cab that flies using helicopter rotors.
1950 Computer-Controlled House (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A residence that is an autonomous robotic system.
1950 Repair Robots (from The Well-Oiled Machine by H.B. Fyfe)
Autonomous robots that carry out maintenance functions on a space ship.
1950 Walker Wagon (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
Robotic vehicle with a trough-like body and many mechanical legs.
1950 Underpeople (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith)
An animal modified to be human in shape and intellect.
1950 Nexialist (from Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt)
A person with a coordinative knowledge across a variety of sciences.
1950 Haberman (from Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith)
Modified humans controlled by cybernetic implants.
1950 Earthport (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith)
A massive spaceport that reared up from the surface of the earth to the edge of the atmosphere.
1950 Syntho-Steak (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
Artificially produced meat.
1950 Quickthaw (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A microwave oven to heat food items quickly.
1950 Two-Wheeled Ground Car (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A gyro-stabilized vehicle like an enclosed motorcycle.
1950 Yeast Steak (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov)
Growing custom strains of yeast as food.
1950 Sand Ship (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A wind-powered vehicle in the desert.
1950 Mass-Conversion Ship (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A spacecraft that uses the ultimate in fuel sources.
1950 Robot Farm (from Let Freedom Ring by Fritz Leiber)
A farm staffed and run entirely by robots.
1950 Perm (Permanent Hookup) (from Spectator Sport by John D. MacDonald)
A lifetime of immersive entertainment.
1950 Great Pain of Space (from Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith)
A kind of fatal space sickness afflicting humans who travel in space.
1950 Aircoat (from Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith)
A flying device.
1951 Booklegger (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A smuggler of books.
1951 Static Field (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A defense against a spy beam.
1951 Spy Beam (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A surveillance device that projects energy into a room, revealing conversation taking place.
1951 Plasto-Textile (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A fabric that cannot be stained.
1951 Planetruck (from The Slave Ship to Andrigo by Ross Rocklynne)
Huge vehicle for planetary surface transport.
1951 Trantor (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A city that covers the entire surface of the planet.
1951 Meson Filter (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Provides robots with the ability to tell the difference between jokes that provide a chuckle and jokes that provide a belly laugh.
1951 Robot Comedian (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Joke-telling feature added to a standard butler robot.
1951 Flavor-Fix Rheostat (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Technology makes sure that the flavor of automatically-produced food is perfect.
1951 Airtight Tent (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A temporary structure for living on an airless moon or asteroid.
1951 Teledar (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Three-dimensional television.
1951 Polaron Beam (from Earthlight (Novella) by Arthur C. Clarke)
A unique beam of energy that scatters some of its light at right angles to the direction of propagation.
1951 Surrogate Skin (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
False skin that is sprayed onto damaged areas.
1951 Machine Test Scoring (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A device that scans a specially prepared grade sheet and determines a student's score.
1951 Telebook (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A book made available in text on a television screen.
1951 Mechanical Teacher (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A computer device able to teach children.
1951 Psychohistory (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Branch of mathematics describes the behavior of human beings en masses.
1951 Agricultural World (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Planet set aside for the production of food for another world.
1951 Anti-Spying Device (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Foolproof means of defending against spy beams.
1951 Molecule Matrix (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
Storing information in individual molecules and atoms.
1951 Movable Slideway (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A slideway (moving sidewalk) that can be extended to a spaceship to ease the debarkation process.
1951 Automatic Fuel Hose (from Flying Dutchman by Ward Moore)
A robotic snakelike hose to refuel aircraft.
1951 Powered artificial exoskeleton (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A robotic device designed to support someone too weak to comfortably move in high gravity.
1951 Spinning Pressurized Drum (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
Put a spin on just a part of a space station.
1951 Vocalex Kitchen (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Voice command automatic kitchen.
1951 Ontogenetic Adaptation (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Immediate genetic-level ability to eat alien plants.
1951 Suspensine (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson)
Slows biological functions enough to survive in airless space - for a time.
1951 Oxygen Concentrator (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson)
Gathers oxygen from a thin atmosphere until it is breathable, supporting life.
1951 Sun Dome (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
Used on Venus to give relief from the endless rain.
1951 Single Vehicle Tunnel (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A small diameter tunnel that accepts a single vehicle to a single destination.
1951 Pail of Air (from A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber)
A small bucket filled with (liquid) air.
1951 Air Speedster (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Highly maneuverable air vehicle for hunting.
1951 Coffee Cube (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth)
Concentrated coffee that boils itself!
1951 Smarter People Having Fewer Children (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth)
The original argument that less suitable human pairs are having proportionally more children.
1951 Genetic Engineering (from Dragon's Island by Jack Williamson)
Direct manipulation of genetic material
1951 Space Station One (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke)
Describes an early space station similar to the International Space Station, that grew over time by accretion.
1951 Oxygen Weeds (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke)
Plants that create oxygen on a planet with little breathable air.
1951 Self-Sealing Plastic (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Transparent sheeting with a layer of material that would flow to staunch tiny leaks.
1951 Dominator (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Device implants a psychological block.
1951 Guided Missile Control Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An orbital missile base.
1951 Ultra-Light (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
Allows the user to see into rock or other solid matter.
1951 Metal Foil Advertisement (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An advertising circular made out of metal.
1951 Suction Mail Tube (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An evacuated tube system carrying mail to residences.
1951 Audio Relay (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
A communication device implanted behind the ear; also used as an alarm for wake-up calls.
1951 Negative Molecular Motion (from The Universe Between by Alan E. Nourse)
A state of matter that has a temperature below absolute zero.
1951 Sun-Room (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
On a planet-wide city, the only way to get some sun without going to the roof.
1951 Personal Capsule (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
An impenetrable device containing information for your eyes only.
1951 Butler-Valet Robot (from The Jester by William Tenn)
A gentleman's servant, roboticized.
1951 Nuclear Shears (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Device uses nuclear power to accomplish basic shop tasks.
1951 Asteroid Homesteaders' School (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An institution of learning where regular folks learned how to start a farm on an asteroid.
1951 Variable Modifier (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Provides the capability of altering standard jokes to fit new circumstances.
1951 Asteroid Garden (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A method for building a greenhouse on a small, airless body.
1951 Dirt-Farming (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
An archaic method of food production.
1951 Veldt (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
A nursery that comes alive for the viewer.
1951 Star-Globe (Ship) (from Brother Worlds by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A spherical spacecraft.
1951 Gravitic Repulsion Elevator (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion.
1951 Half-Sphere Force Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A protective force field that can manifest even as a half-sphere.
1951 Calculator Pad (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Used to make psychohistoric calculations
1951 Microwire (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A very thin wire used for recording purposes.
1951 Helmet-Mounted Display Screen (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
A small electronic display mounted for easy viewing.
1951 Flying Saucer (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
Spacecraft flown by the androgynes of Titan - under control of the Puppetmasters.
1951 Ultrawave Relay or Hyperwave Relay (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Instantaneous, faster-than-light communication system.
1951 Pocket Nucleo-Bulb (Atomo Bulb) (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A nuclear-powered pocket-sized flashlight.
1951 Retard-Jets (from Brother Worlds by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Rockets to slow down.
1951 Personal Force-Shield (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A portable force-shield small enough to be carried by a single man.
1951 Robot Detector (from Assignment in the Unknown by Frank Quattrocchi)
A device that can sense robotics.
1951 Artificial Intelligence (from Moon of the Unforgotten by Edmond Hamilton)
A machine or other created system able to respond in a human-like way to questions or problems.
1951 Vat Meat (Albert) (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Meat grown in a vat.
1951 Force-Field Penknife (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized knife, the blade of which is a force-field.
1951 Selector Card (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
Pneumatic delivery of book films by using a mechanical form of data storage; selector cards - probably punch cards.
1951 Odorophonics (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
A system capable of reproducing selected scents capable of fooling the human nervous system.
1951 Happylife Home (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An automated multi-media home, which provided the good life to its inhabitants.
1951 Cold-Sleep (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A form of induced suspended animation, in which a person enters a state like hibernation.
1951 Jump Through Hyperspace (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Device that makes faster-than-light travel possible.
1951 Space Transfer Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An orbiting space station primarily used as a stepping-off point from Earth.
1951 Boarding Space-Line (from Tyrann by Isaac Asimov)
A method for two ships to connect at a distance, allowing a passenger to move safely between ships.
1951 Neutron Disruption Blaster (from The Complete Paratime by H. Beam Piper)
Beam pistol which splits neutrons into protons and electrons, releasing enormous energy.
1951 Robass (from The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher)
A robotic beast of burden.
1951 Martian Perambulator (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A mechanized transport for heavy gravity environments for beings born in lower gravity environments.
1951 Directional Ticket (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A ticket that also has the property of glowing while you are going toward what you bought.
1951 Finger Watch (from Key Decision by H.B. Fyfe)
A ring that contains a working timepiece and a display.
1951 Mechanical Grease Monkey (from Flying Dutchman by Ward Moore)
1951 Shuttle Ship (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A spacecraft that could take off from a planet, rendezvous with an object in orbit, and fly back to the surface like a glider.
1951 Automatic Loader (from Flying Dutchman by Ward Moore)
Entirely automated system for replenishing the arms on a bomber plane.
1951 Automated Bomber (from Flying Dutchman by Ward Moore)
A bombing plane that automatically targets, drops, returns for fuel and more munitions, all automatically.
1951 Autocab (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An fully automated taxi cab.
1951 Vibratory Mass Penetrator (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
A device that allows a person to walk through earth and even solid rock.
1951 Security Restraint Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A force field that restricts personal movement.
1951 Neuronic Whip (from The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov)
A weapon that stimulated the nerve endings to cause extreme discomfort.
1951 Winged Rocket Shuttle (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A sort of plane that briefly reached space while traveling between points on a planet.
1952 Airjeep (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A small military air vehicle.
1952 Toaster (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
A handheld beam weapon.
1952 Magneslippers (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Shoes that adhere to metal space ship floors, useful in null gravity situations.
1952 Self-Repairing Robot (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
A mechanism that can detect faults in itself and repair them.
1952 Medical Use for Weightlessness (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Early reference to the idea of using a weightless environment for medical purposes.
1952 Hydropathic bed (from The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester)
A heated bed that used something more comfortable than water.
1952 Lead-Bodied Android (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
A robot designed for use in the nuclear industry.
1952 Compulsive Subsonics (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
An advertising agency works with every part of the audience's brain.
1952 Animal-tissue Culture Vat (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A means of producing artificial meat for food.
1952 Retinal Projection (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A method for projecting advertisements directly on the retina.
1952 Ullran Enunciator (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Special prosthesis needed to aid humans in speaking an alien language.
1952 Off-Planet (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Away from a planet, towards another or into space.
1952 Contragravity Suit (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A suit with antigravity.
1952 Automatic Pilot (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device to control the movement of aircraft using computer components.
1952 Coffiest (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
It's coffee that you can't live without.
1952 Time Crystals (from Rocketeers at Bay by N.K. Heming)
Permits indefinite movement forward in time.
1952 Plastissue (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Artificial flesh.
1952 Hilsch Vortex Tube (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A T-shaped device that admits air under pressure and outputs hot air from side and cold from the other.
1952 Robotic Law Tape Safety Valve (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A specific impulse that warns robots contemplating breaking the laws set forth for their behavior.
1952 Robot Manumission (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
The freeing of a robotic being from a state of being owned property.
1952 Vision Strip (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara)
A circular vision strip for robots.
1952 Silencer-Padding (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
Robots need to have special padding on the bottoms of their lower limbs, so they don't clank as they walk.
1952 Depilatory Soap (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A labor-saving combination of soap and a agent that removes hair.
1952 Tree-Grown Wood (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
The natural product, obtained by cutting down a living tree.
1952 Robot Ramp (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A special means of ingress and egress solely for use by mechanical help.
1952 Visi-Sonor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
An entertainment device which appeared to create both sound and light by acting directly on brain cells. It also stimulated emotions directly.
1952 Robot Strike (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
When robots refuse to work.
1952 Light Absorbing/Emitting Ink (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Ink that can absorb light and then emit it in a burst for advertising purposes.
1952 Gas Giant (from Solar Plexus by James Blish)
Large planet consisting primarily of gas with a solid core.
1952 Gravital Unit (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Device that maintains Earth-comparable gravity on an asteroid.
1952 Solido Projector (from Cost of Living by Robert Sheckley)
Projects 3-dimensional images.
1952 Law of Contact (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara)
Non-interference in the development of other worlds.
1952 Droid (First Use) (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
Contraction of "android".
1952 Robodore (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A robot specialized for use as a stevedore, emptying the contents of ships in port.
1952 Flesh Men (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
Thinking beings that are not mechanical robots - human beings.
1952 Zero 'g' (Zero Gee) (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
In a ship in orbit, in free fall.
1952 Cylinder Space Suit (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
A mostly rigid, cylindrical space suit.
1952 Levitating Path (from A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury)
Anti-gravity metal used to make a floating walkway.
1952 Automatic Gun (from The Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A large artillery device that is entire automated.
1952 Spray-On Clothing Web (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
A 'web' clothing foundation that can be sprayed on and then molded by a couturier.
1952 Beeper (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
A handheld radar set, used to find items that have drifted off.
1952 Personal Solar Plant (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
A single-home solar-powered energy source.
1952 Monoline (from Big Planet by Jack Vance)
A wind-driven overland transport.
1952 Lunocycle (Lunar Bicycle) (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein)
A bicycle specially adapted for lunar travel.
1952 Flat Cat (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein)
A nearly two-dimensional furry little beast.
1952 Ribbon World (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A planet that presents the same face to its sun has a small habitable area - the ribbon between light and dark.
1952 Tiny Nuclear Generator (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A complete nuclear-based generator of power no bigger than a walnut.
1952 Panatrope (from Surface Tension by James Blish)
A device that modifies human dna to ensure survival in harsh alien environments.
1952 Broomstick (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
Device to ease movement in a zero-gravity environment.
1952 Flavor-Capsule (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A small pill used to turn ordinary water into a flavored beverage.
1952 Mnemiphot (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
A device used to search for information, which is then presented on a convenient screen.
1952 Kite-Copter Car (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
An observation car suspended below a device that supplies lift.
1952 Automated Wake-Up Call (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
A device that provides automated wake-up calls.
1952 Pretentionists (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
People who took refuge in the past with their customs and lives.
1952 Telagog (from The Guided Man by L. Sprague de Camp)
Remote control excellence - guaranteed!
1952 Soot-Extractor Nostril Plugs (Antisoot Plugs) (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A small device worn to filter industrial pollutants out of breathing air.
1952 Space Beacon (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
An ordinary sun is transformed into a beacon for use by spacecraft when in hyperspace.
1952 Barytrine Field (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
Very large scale stasis field.
1952 Menslator (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
A translator that works by examining the mental image of what you are trying to say.
1952 Chicken Little (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Very early reference to meat grown in a vat for food.
1952 Psychic Probe (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A device capable of discerning truthful information in a living human brain.
1952 Tomato Babies (from Return Engagement by Margaret St. Clair)
Unusual fruit native to Iapetus, can hold electric soul.
1952 Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A zero-gee dispenser of liquids.
1952 Plasticocoon (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Holds a prisoner motionless.
1952 Hypnoteleset (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device that guarantees quick, surrogate sleep.
1952 Tourist Rocket (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A cheap, unpleasant way to do space travel.
1952 Chlorella Plantation (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A skyscraper designed for food production.
1952 Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A zero-g way to enjoy water.
1952 Pocket Projector (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A personal device for replaying media.
1952 Recorded Books (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
Electronically recorded books.
1952 Spray-On Gloves (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
Fashionable evening gloves that are sprayed onto the hand and arm.
1952 Prism Window (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device for getting a better view of the ground from inside an airplane.
1952 Wall-Light (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
The walls of a room provide illumination.
1952 Airplane Window Ads (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
An airplane window that allows you to - see advertisements!
1952 Nuclear-Field Depressor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A device that causes nuclear-powered devices to stop working.
1952 Triple Airlock (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Special device to protect against extremely corrosive atmospheres.
1952 Robot Clerk (from Throwback by Miriam Allen deFord)
An autonomous clerical unit - a robot that could wait on you in a store.
1952 Counselor (from Throwback by Miriam Allen deFord)
An electronic source of advice for humans.
1952 Contraceptone (from Throwback by Miriam Allen deFord)
A contraceptive with 100% success, for men and women.
1952 Master-Operator (from Cost of Living by Robert Sheckley)
Takes over the functions of many different household robots.
1952 Solar-powered Prefab House (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
A pre-built house that can live off the grid.
1952 Free Robot (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A robot without a master.
1952 Stun Pistol (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A hand-held device that causes unconsciousness.
1952 Spy-Eyes (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe)
Tiny robotic surveillance devices fly using propellers.
1952 Analogue Treatment (from Ticket to Anywhere by Damon Knight)
Hypnotic drug treatment that normalizes behavior in humans.
1952 Singularity (from All The Time In The World by Arthur C. Clarke)
In science, a condition in which spacetime breaks down; in society, a technological advance causes social conditions to break down.
1952 Leak Disk (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
Simple device to temporarily close a leak in a spacecraft.
1952 Esper (from The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester)
A person to perceive the contents of another person's mind.
1952 Warp-Speed (from Yachting Party by Fox B. Holden)
Faster than light spaceships.
1952 Magnetized Cloth Pajamas (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
Sleeping in zero gee - just like on Earth!
1952 Robot Tennis Player (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe)
A purely mechanical, autonomous foe on the court.
1952 Supervisor Robot (from Manners of the Age by H.B. Fyfe)
A robot that watches over and gives orders to other robots.
1952 Electronic Spy (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
An autonomous device that kept itself hidden while keeping track of an individual's activity.
1952 Magnetic Coil Slippers (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
Maintain your footing in zero gravity.
1952 Photo Crystal (Cube) (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A small handheld display for a picture
1952 Space-Weather Men (from Revenge of the Robots by Lawrence Chandler)
Predictors of the 'weather' in space.
1952 Moonwalk (from Moonwalk by H.B. Fyfe)
To traverse the Earth's moon on foot, in a space suit.
1952 Vacuum Tractor (from Moonwalk by H.B. Fyfe)
A small transport used on the surface of the moon, in vacuum.
1952 Mechanical Dentist (from Make Mine Mars by C.M. Kornbluth)
No human graduated from dental school here.
1952 Monowheel (from Firewater by William Tenn)
A single-wheeled police car.
1952 Moon-Dome (from Last Blast by Eric Frank Russell)
A transparent hemisphere used as a habitat.
1952 Self-Maintaining Circuit Monitoring and Repair (from Gramp and his Dog by Frank Quattrocchi)
A computer that monitors itself for repair.
1953 Extee (from Mother by Philip Jose Farmer)
An uncommon abbreviation for "extraterrestrial"
1953 Farming Trantor (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Taking apart a vast city, and returning to farming the land.
1953 Rolov (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil)
A specialized robot for the bedroom.
1953 Dressing Machine (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil)
A robotic device to serve as a mechanical dresser.
1953 Ovoid 3D Galactic Model (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A handheld display of a galaxy.
1953 Mental Static Device (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Cloak the minds of individuals with a kind of 'noise'.
1953 Short-Wave Surgical Knife (from Boomerang (A Great Deal of Power) by Eric Frank Russell)
A means of performing an internal cut without breaking the skin.
1953 Spacecraft Ejection Seat (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
An ejection seat for spacecraft, to be used in the event of problems during launch.
1953 Zero-G Cups (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Cups that were specially designed to be usable under zero gravity conditions.
1953 Birth of Alien to Human (from Freedom of the Race by Anne McCaffrey)
The birth of an alien individual to a human woman.
1953 Stardrive (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Propulsion method that quickly brings a ship's speed to nearly that of light.
1953 Homeostatic Newspaper (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous news-gathering and publishing entity; abbreviated as homeopape.
1953 Permanent Skywriting (from Soap Opera by Alan Nelson)
Non-wispy skywriting letters.
1953 Garbage Screen (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Use of bits of metal to confuse radar targeting of space stations.
1953 Legislation Analyzer (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
Device analyzes potentially biased bills.
1953 Artificially Pulsating Star (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder)
A star that has been modified to pulsate with a message to the entire universe.
1953 Brains (Computer) (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder)
An electronic brain that is able to do problem solving. This idea seems to be the impetus behind current artificial intelligence that seeks to solve problems, rather than to simulate human intelligenc
1953 Merc-Pool (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
A device that stores information in vibration patterns on a mercury surface.
1953 Sub-C (from The Impossible Planet by Philip K. Dick)
Of ships, older models that travel at speeds below that of light.
1953 Yeast-Culture Vats (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
Using cultured yeast as the basis for food production.
1953 Learning Circuit (from Watchbird by Robert Sheckley)
The watchbirds can learn and teach each other.
1953 Space Wagon (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
A space vehicle without a cabin, used for short-range towing.
1953 Stinger (from The Hanging Stranger by Philip K. Dick)
A biological assassin.
1953 News Receptor (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick)
Devices used by homeostatic newspapers to gather news autonomically.
1953 Space Weakness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Early description of what happens to the human body in zero gravity.
1953 Automated Blood Test (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
Blood draw and test without human assistance.
1953 Pinlight (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith)
Thimble-sized photonuclear bomb.
1953 Planoforming (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith)
A form of "faster than light" travel allows for interstellar travel.
1953 Synthony (from The Music Master by F.L. Wallace)
A musical performance by robots.
1953 Robotaxi (from Dugal Was A Spaceman by Joe Gibson)
A fully automated, driverless taxi.
1953 Robot Pianist (from Virtuoso by Herbert Goldstone)
A robot learns the fine art of playing classical music on the piano.
1953 C/Fe (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
A culture that combines the best of humans and robots.
1953 Galactic Damping Field (from Brain Wave by Poul Anderson)
A vast field of force emanating from the center of the galaxy.
1953 Travel-Rug (from Roll Out The Rolov! by Christopher Anvil)
A rug that conveyed you around your house.
1953 Buy-Me-Discs (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith)
Tiny disks attached to products in stores that received transmitted ads to share with consumers.
1953 Earplug Decision (Restraint of Advertising) (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith)
A Supreme Court judgement that declared that earplugs used to block advertising were unconstitutional.
1953 Time Scoop (from Paycheck by Philip K. Dick)
Retrieved objects from other points in time.
1953 Master Ventriloquism Corporation (MV) (from Captive Audience by Anne Warren Griffith)
A central source of product advertising, commercials sent out to every product.
1953 Paint-to-Order Robot Artist (from The Music Master by F.L. Wallace)
A robotic mechanism that could produce a unique picture, given subject and artistic style.
1953 Robot Door (from Colony by Philip K. Dick)
Automated door has some decision-making capabilities, in addition to speech recognition capabilities.
1953 Preserving Machine (from The Preserving Machine by Philip K. Dick)
A device that would create a unique animal from a piece of classical music.
1953 The Shed (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Enormous building needed to assemble giant space craft or space stations.
1953 Robie Vending Robot (from A Bad Day For Sales by Fritz Leiber)
A robotic vending machine that seeks out customers.
1953 Gravity-Simulator Harness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Device that simulates gravity's effect on muscles to keep in shape while in space.
1953 Buttered Toast Robot (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
What it says on the tin.
1953 Robant (from The Impossible Planet by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic servant.
1953 Hypertracer (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A device that allows a pursuer to follow a spaceship through hyperspace.
1953 Ring Road (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein)
A magnetically levitated train.
1953 Visicastor (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A person who presents video broadcasts.
1953 Self-Sufficient House (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A single family residence that required no surrounding infrastructure.
1953 Sideglance Robe (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
A dress that is invisible or opaque, depending on how you look at it.
1953 Worldcraft Bubble (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
An incredibly detailed mechanical simulation of a world.
1953 Automatobile (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous private car.
1953 Machine Evolution (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick)
An early look at the idea that machines can evolve all by themselves, physically and intellectually.
1953 Robot Psyche Tester (from Colony by Philip K. Dick)
An automated psychiatric evaluation device.
1953 Big Flue (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Enormous incinerators serviced directly by helicopter.
1953 Morality Rating-Computer (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A computer system able to determine moral deviancy.
1953 Voice-Activated Door (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A door that opens upon verbal command.
1953 Planet Buster (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A bomb so powerful it could destroy a planet.
1953 Vistascreen (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
Large screen entertainment.
1953 Sliver Gun (from The Unreliable Perfumist by Margaret St. Clair)
A firearm that shoots fine darts.
1953 City Ship (from Star of Wonder by Julian May)
A generation ship, a spacecraft that carries a people to another star.
1953 Plasta-Skin (from Star Rangers (The Last Planet) by Andre Norton)
Artificial Skin
1953 Watchbird (from Watchbird by Robert Sheckley)
Surveillance and punishment in one handy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
1953 Dirtside (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein)
The surface of a planet.
1953 Vapor Cloud (from The Cosmic Poachers by Philip K. Dick)
Corrosive gas destroys ships.
1953 Inflatable Air Lock (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Air lock making use of inflatable side walls to achieve large size.
1953 Ruum Spherical Robot (from The Ruum by Arthur Porges)
An autonomous spherical robot, possibly liquid metal, self-energizing, of alien design; a collector.
1953 Spot-Wavex Scrambler (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Provides a more personalized experience of television, by letting the announcers talk to you personally.
1953 Message Tree (from A Case of Conscience by James Blish)
A tree growing out of a huge cliff of crystal provides communication for a world.
1953 Air-Propelled Train (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A silent means of mass transit.
1953 Salamander (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Name given to the fire trucks of the future, which carry kerosene rather than water, and are used to burn houses.
1953 Electronic-Eyed Snake (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A fully automated stomach pump.
1953 Pilot's Tank (from Sky Lift by Robert Heinlein)
For high gee boosting.
1953 Robotic Conductor (from Paycheck by Philip K. Dick)
A robot charged with conductor's duties aboard a bus or other public transportation.
1953 Torchship (from Sky Lift by Robert Heinlein)
A spaceship capable of high acceleration.
1953 Space Phobia (from Let 'em Breathe Space! by Lester del Rey)
When astronauts have had enough.
1953 Seashell Radio (Thimble Radios) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Small radios that fit into the ears like hearing aids or ear buds.
1953 Parlor Wall (TV Parlor) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
The original "big screen TV" takes up an entire wall of a room.
1953 Mechanical Hound (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
An eight-legged robotic "hound" with hypodermic poison fangs.
1953 Green Bullet (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A very compact (for 1950) radio transceiver, worn in the ear like a hearing aid.
1953 Eetee (E.T. - extraterrestrial) (from Button, Button by Thomas Wilson)
A sentient being not of this Earth.
1953 Private Flyer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A privately-owned air vehicle that used no control surfaces for maneuvering.
1953 Hawk Anti-Drone (from Watchbird by Robert Sheckley)
An autonomous unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designed to seek and destroy other UAVs.
1953 Planetary Globe (from Star of Wonder by Julian May)
A craftsman's model of a planet.
1953 Self-Cleaning Autonomous Car (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An automatic vehicle that keeps itself clean.
1953 Claws (Attack Robot) (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick)
Autonomous guard robots that attack living tissue.
1953 Lens Image (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A presentation of the night sky, calculated for any planet or point in space.
1953 Leady (from The Defenders by Philip K. Dick)
A radiation-resistant robot.
1953 Positronic Motor (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
A combination of motor and brain; an engine with a cerebellum and a carburetor.
1953 Robotic Infiltrator (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick)
A robot designed to appeal to a soldier's sense of mercy for children.
1953 Panoramic Viewer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Permits observation at a distance, as well as the projection of a holographic image.
1953 Automatic Ticket Machine (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Get your ticket to Trantor automatically.
1953 Voice in the Ear (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Project a voice or sound to one individual's ears only.
1953 Control Screen (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
An alien display device.
1953 Information Sharing (Watchbird Network) (from Watchbird by Robert Sheckley)
Watchbird drones can see and learn and then share new information, methods and definitions.
1953 Automatobus (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous or self-driving bus seating a number of people.
1953 Space Flight Simulator (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Very early description of a way to practice flying in space while still on Earth.
1953 Pushpot (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
An independent rocket motor that can attach itself to an object bound for space.
1953 Magnetic-Soled Shoes (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
A means of walking on a surface in zero gravity.
1953 Sunlight Blocker (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A roughly circular field which denies sunlight to an area of a planet.
1953 Breesk (from Expedition to Earth by Robert Zacks)
A unique dish best served with violet sauce.
1953 Transcriber (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A automated transcriptionist - a machine which perfectly translates human speech into words on paper.
1953 R. Daneel Olivaw (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
A human-like robot, skilled in police work.
1953 Galactography (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Geography on a galactic scale.
1953 Prime Radiant (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A projector that puts all of a vast collection of writings on the wall of a special conference room. You could interact with it by writing on the wall; changes were stored.
1953 Science Fiction Restaurant (from Expedition to Earth by Robert Zacks)
Established by aliens, its waiters and food are out of this world!
1953 Autonomous Car Intercommunication (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
Automatic cars talk to each other about everything.
1954 Mnemonic Service (from Sucker Bait by Isaac Asimov)
Dedicated humans who collected bits of data in hopes of catching key correlations between fields of study.
1954 Inorganic Evolution (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
A process by which robots could alter their own structure, or the ways that they interact with other robots, to adapt to a changing world.
1954 Hypno-Motor Control (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A means of controlling the body remotely, cutting off the need for local control (ie, by your mind).
1954 Self-Selling Robot (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A robot that sells itself.
1954 Lawyer Robot (from How-2 by Clifford Simak)
An autonomous, robotic lawyer.
1954 Guide-Beam (from Time Pawn by Philip K. Dick)
A wireless means of controlling and directing the movement of a passenger vehicle.
1954 Law Clerk Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A robotic lawyer.
1954 TBR (Talk Between Robots) Circuit (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A special means of communications used by robots to speak with each other.
1954 Automatic Companion Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A robotic replacement for a pet or friend.
1954 Bodyphone (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A unique designation for a personal phone you can carry with you.
1954 Consumption Robots (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
Humanoid robots placed in the position of consuming material goods to relieve human beings of the burden.
1954 Pod-Chair (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A living chair, grown by the Iszc to perform its function.
1954 Hopper (from Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus by Isaac Asimov)
A vehicle with a single leg and rotors to enhance 'hang time.'
1954 Beer Robot (from How-2 by Clifford Simak)
A robot prepared and filled with draft beer.
1954 Radiant Shield (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A device that would effectively prevent an implanted radiant from being detected or read.
1954 Control Helmet (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Direct control of a robot from the brain.
1954 Reading Plate (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A flat screen that provided computer output for viewing.
1954 Universal Dictionary (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A machine that provided references to anything known.
1954 Micro-Android (Micro-Robot) (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An extremely tiny robot or nanobot.
1954 Tanglefoot Field (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A force field that would not harm but merely entangle and stop anyone (or anything) caught in it.
1954 Robot Cab Driver (from A Present for Pat by Philip K. Dick)
You think you have problems? Robots have the worst problems of anyone.
1954 Protoplast (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Artificial life, tougher than protoplasm.
1954 Compassion Circuit (from Compassion Circuit by John Wyndham)
A special robotic component that allows the robot to weigh harm and benefit in carrying out commands.
1954 Copter Harness (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A single person flying machine.
1954 Sentry Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A set of trees that will allow only those with the safe signal to pass.
1954 Tri-Type Record (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A printed card that stores information about a person, including a perfect three-dimensional representation.
1954 House Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Living trees grown as houses; large hollow pods serve as living spaces.
1954 Boat-Tree (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A tree, the pods of which can be grown as boats.
1954 Click-Band (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick)
Worn on the wrist, it helps you locate your transport.
1954 Mechanical Bride (from The Mechanical Bride by Fritz Leiber)
A perfect robotic replica of a woman.
1954 Feeler-Planes (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Special sensors that make extremely detailed three-dimensional models.
1954 Spaceward Lunar Hemisphere (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Another name for the lunar far side.
1954 Prethink (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
The ability to predict the future in a routine perceptual manner.
1954 Lash-Tube (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
Device emits an energy beam.
1954 Suit-Shield Fabric (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
A kind of mesh fabric that could absorb energy bolts.
1954 Central Guide-Beam (from Shell Game by Philip K. Dick)
A kind of signal that demonstrates the best possible path to a destination in space and even provides motive power.
1954 Radiant (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A chip that is injected into the shoulder, providing positioning and information about the subject.
1954 Solar-Powered Ball (from Dawn of the Demigods by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An autonomous round toy that powers itself.
1954 Truth Meter (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A lie detector.
1954 Nanomachine Swarm (Black Cloud) (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
A cloud of tiny machines, able to work together autonomously.
1954 Anti-Gerasone (from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
Cheap immortality comes to your neighborhood convenience store.
1954 Memory Vault (from The End of Summer by Algis Budrys)
Your personal computer memory, that you can't live without.
1954 Plastirobe (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A dress that varies in opacity by distance.
1954 Visual Ad (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
An advertisement that forces its way directly into the brain of the viewer.
1954 Commute Ship (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Spacecraft used for traversing daily grind between Earth and the planet you work on.
1954 Retinal Vid-Screen (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A tiny display surgically implanted directly in the retina of the eye.
1954 Sales Robot (Robot Salesman) (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Fully automated robots giving untiring, incessant sales pitches to customers.
1954 Metal Insects (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
Small autonomous flying winged robots.
1954 Car Caravan (from Carry Me Home by Gordon R. Dickson)
A set of cars that will follow a lead car autonomously.
1954 Web (Data Network) (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
An information network.
1954 Relay (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
A central information system used to coordinate all of human culture and technology.
1954 Snake Boring Truck (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick)
A long thin truck like a snake, with a boring tip.
1954 Thought Pattern Divination (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Attempting to construct the thoughts of a person by imitating their actions.
1954 The Dip (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick)
A device that randomly dredges up things from the past... or the future.
1954 Temporal Paradox (from The Toy by Brian Berry)
The paradoxical idea that making changes in the past results in changes in the present.
1954 Mother-Scanner (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
A device that can see your future through your next birth.
1954 Robot Guard (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
Very early reference to a guard robot.
1954 Trace Web (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
A small, handheld device that contacts (and even instantiates) the larger network.
1954 Voicewriter Screen (Computer Monitor) (from Granny Won't Knit by Theodore Sturgeon)
A screen that displays characters.
1954 Histo-Research (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick)
Historical research using a time machine.
1954 Robot Farmer (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
A humanoid robot used for agriculture.
1954 Spacelanes Traffic Jam (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Fanciful description of commuters in space.
1954 One-Way Passage (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A different way to assure permanent egress.
1954 Cephaloscope (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A device used to detect lying.
1954 Shatter-Gun (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A hand-held device that literally scrambles the brains of the victim.
1954 Space Capsule (from Space Capsule by E.R. James)
A minimal space craft.
1954 Dermal-Mist Spray (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick)
Very refreshing for suburbanites.
1954 Jiffi-scuttler (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick)
A device providing near instantaneous travel between two points.
1954 Airmakers (from The Big Rain by Poul Anderson)
Machine to create breathable air from the constituent materials on an alien planet.
1954 One-Man Car (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A small transport vehicle.
1954 Roboscribe (from End as a Robot by Richard Marsten)
A robotic writer of hard-bitten detective yarns.
1954 Maid-Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A mechanical automaton does the work of a lady's maid.
1954 Polarized Window (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Rather than curtains, use the window to control the light.
1954 Escape Pod (from The Vanisher by Michael Shaara)
A small automated ship attached to a larger ship or station, used in the event of an emergency.
1954 Finger Jet Bath (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
The ultimate in luxury tubs.
1954 Human Quarter (from James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick)
A ghetto for human beings; in this case, in a world of robots.
1954 Public Vehicle Tube (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Underground transportation tubes.
1954 Mechanical Tune-Maker (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
An electromechanical device that created unique music.
1954 Synapsis-Coils (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Human-like storage for computers.
1954 Mecho-Clothing (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Apparel created entirely by machines.
1954 Sceneshifter (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
An automated display device that produced random pictorial presentations.
1954 Gravity neutralizing paint (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Paint or coating that neutralized the effects of gravity on whatever it was painted on.
1954 Time Quake (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick)
Too much energy applied to a time-fault may have started this.
1954 Rom (Robot Operated Missiles) (from Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick)
Intercontinental robotic weapons.
1955 Guard Robot (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick)
Early reference to a robot performing the functions of a security guard.
1955 Robot Disimprovement (from A Ticket to Tranai by Robert Sheckley)
Once robots have reached a state of development where they are better than humans, they must be modified - for the worse.
1955 Human Habit Pattern Machines (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
Imposing human habits onto machines.
1955 Automatized Factory (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
A factory consisting of machines with imposed human abilities.
1955 Light-Absorbing Paint (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
Space stealth!
1955 Schrieber Analyzer (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
Superior automatic air testing - for the discriminating space traveler.
1955 Electronic Voting (from Franchise by Isaac Asimov)
A system of elections that used the responses of a statistically average voter.
1955 Scout-Base (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
Artificial sphere functions as a frontier outpost.
1955 Automatic Factory (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Manufacturing facility that functions entirely autonomously.
1955 Probe Screen Hood (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick)
A device that blocks attempts to see into the contents of the brain mind.
1955 Unit Analyst Robot (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic psychoanalyst.
1955 Bore-Pellets (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick)
Anti-underground bomb shelter ordinance.
1955 Stiletto Beam (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A beam of molten metal, projected electromagnetically.
1955 Dashboard TV (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
A television placed in the dashboard of your car or similar vehicle.
1955 Finely Divided Dust Propellant (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
Reaction mass to drive spacecraft.
1955 Space Craft Rope Ladder (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
Equipment used for debarking from a space craft.
1955 Composite Person (from The Mold of Yancy by Philip K. Dick)
A synthesis of basic personalities.
1955 Badge Of Office Explosive (from A Ticket to Tranai by Robert Sheckley)
Politicians wear what amounts to a bomb, which is controlled by citizen vote.
1955 Grill-Screen Adaptor (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick)
Approved General Electronics Corporation solution for bomb shelters, in response to Soviet bore-pellets.
1955 Interviewed by a Computer (from Franchise by Isaac Asimov)
An interview conducted by a computer with a person.
1955 Search-Bug (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An exploratory robot.
1955 Autofac (Nanorobots) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Very small robots working on self-replication
1955 Lunar Monorail (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A monorail constructed above the surface of the Moon.
1955 Chest-Lens (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
Part of an automatic photograph-and-send system.
1955 Swibble (from Service Call by Philip K. Dick)
An artificially evolved telepathic metazoan-based mind control device.
1955 Slide Rule w/Radio Attachment (from Mission to the Stars by A.E. van Vogt)
Slide rule communicates results immediately with computer.
1955 Water Brain Fountain (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
A drinking fountain that locates your mouth, rather than you having to lean down to the spout.
1955 Cold-Beam (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
Puts a cloud of extreme cold around the target.
1955 Artibase (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
An artificial asteroid base between planets.
1955 Network Repair Team (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Dispatched to collect remains of destroyed machines.
1955 Autonomous Lifeboat (from The Lifeboat Mutiny by Robert Sheckley)
A water-going craft whose AI is devoted to the safety of its passengers.
1955 Neck-Phone (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
An implanted telecommunications device.
1955 Commute Disk (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
Flying autonomous commuter vehicle.
1955 Central City (Lunar Habitat) (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
An early example of a non-military lunar habitat.
1955 Synthimeat (Crop Protein) (from Lazarus by Margaret St. Clair)
A more general name for synthetic meat
1955 Machines Colonize Universe (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
A brief description of a how automated machines might spread.
1955 Robot Surgeon-Hand (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
A skilled surgical robot that attaches at the end of the surgeon's arm.
1955 Robot Gardener (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous gardening robot, taking care of plants in parks or fields.
1955 Heat-Suit (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster)
Perfect for those incredibly hot planets with breathable atmospheres.
1955 Production Prescription (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem)
A file that can be used to reproduce an object.
1955 Nanny Robot (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick)
A child-care robot with a surprisingly competitive side.
1955 Caterwheel (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster)
A uniquely styled ground vehicle with fat, splayed out tires.
1955 Generation Ship (from Star Ship by E.C. Tubb)
A spacecraft that carries a complete social group over many years.
1955 Microscreen (from Bolden's Pets by F.L. Wallace)
An immaterial protective helmet.
1955 Juiciveal (from Lazarus by Margaret St. Clair)
Artificially grown veal.
1955 Monocab (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A single compartment monorail car.
1955 Agile Recording Robot (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A recording machine that moves toward its subject.
1955 Ramsbotham Gate (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A means of getting from point A to point B without traversing the space in-between.
1955 Autonomous Truck (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
A truck that drives itself and unloads itself.
1955 Robot Taxi (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A taxicab with a robotic driver.
1955 Artigraft (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Artificial skin graft.
1955 Magnetic Grapple-Beams (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Short range magnetic field to guide flying cars and park them properly.
1955 Protine (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A mutant algae that can be engineered to look and taste similar to normal food.
1955 Pizzled (Semantic Garble) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Use of nonsensical statements to deliberately confuse an artificial intelligence.
1955 Inflatable Lunar Resort (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
An inflatable structure on the moon, intended to provide rest and relaxation to lunar residents.
1955 Mechanical Newsmachine (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick)
An automated device that delivers on-the-spot news.
1955 Robus (from Terror in the Stars by John A. Sentry)
A robotic bus.
1955 Mechavalet (from The Angry House by Richard R. Smith)
An entirely automated dressing assistant.
1955 Raw Material-Tropic (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Moves towards desirable raw materials.
1955 Anti-Burglar Installations (from The Angry House by Richard R. Smith)
Every electronic house should have automated defenses.
1955 Landing-Grid (from Sand Doom by Murray Leinster)
A constructed landing area on a planetary surface for space craft.
1955 Citizens Booth (from A Ticket to Tranai by Robert Sheckley)
A special location for citizens to register their displeasure with public officials.
1955 Synthetic Milk (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Milk made without cows.
1955 Hand Wave Control (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Control an electronic or other device with gestures.
1955 Automatic Ore Cart (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous truck for raw ore processing.
1955 Diabological Armory (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
A set of verbal tools based on a higher form of reasoning.
1955 Pocket Receiver (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem)
An early visualization of the smartphone.
1955 Multivac (from Franchise by Isaac Asimov)
A computer with millions of facts.
1955 Simulacrum Window (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A 'window' that provides a realistic outdoor view in an interior room.
1955 Robot Factory Representative (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An ambulatory agent of an automatic factory.
1955 Electronic Analogue of Living Brain (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
Imposing the abilities of a human brain into a computer
1955 Visual Report Screen (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick)
A device that allows a robot nanny to let the owners view what the robot sees from a remote location.
1955 Trion Library (from The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaw Lem)
An early visualization of the Internet.
1956 Trolling Tether Cable (from Atom Drive by Charles Fontenay)
Simple fishing technique applied to moving cargo off-planet.
1956 Robot Fish (Metal Fish) (from Atom Drive by Charles Fontenay)
Fake flounders for sport fishermen on Martian canals.
1956 Undercover Detective Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Specialized robot masquerades as different robot types to spy on criminals.
1956 Robot Interception Aerial Mines (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick)
Loitering explosives overhead.
1956 Tune-Maker (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick)
Automated music production.
1956 Lethe-Mirror (from The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick)
Induces sleepy mindedness.
1956 Planet-Busting Bomb (from Testing by J.J. Ferrat)
A munition with sufficient power to destroy an entire planet.
1956 Robot Tracking Device (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Small UAV robot remotely operated by an artificially intelligent computer.
1956 Interactive Blackboard (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Early description of an interactive display device for lectures and demonstrations.
1956 Vulcan 3 (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Artificially intelligent self-modifying supercomputer.
1956 Thorsen Memory Tube (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Computer component that allows a machine to learn through experience.
1956 Transdermal Drug Capsule (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A drug capsule that delivers medication by being placed on the skin.
1956 Underwater Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
An autonomous mechanical for use underwater.
1956 Rainbow Dome (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A planetary defense shield.
1956 Blue Collar Robot (Self-Repairing) (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
An autonomous robot required to find its own work.
1956 Radioactive Coding for Checks (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Special coding system to easily recognize checks.
1956 Fottengill Process (from Gypped by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.)
An early mention of the idea that energy can be derived from random noise.
1956 Planet Rules (from Drop Dead by Clifford Simak)
Regulations governing the behavior of the away team on a new planet.
1956 Bug (from Brightside Crossing by Alan E. Nourse)
A compact vehicle for planetary surfaces - like Mercury.
1956 Bard (from Someday by Isaac Asimov)
A machine that invents randomized stories and can read them out loud or animate them for viewing.
1956 Mechanotherapy (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
A mechanism or device-based therapy that cures (or palliates) alcoholism.
1956 Electrotruck (from The Corkscrew of Space by Poul Anderson)
An autonomous, electric truck.
1956 Bendix Anxiety Reducer (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Machine-based psychotherapy.
1956 Hypersee (from The Best of Fences by Gordon Randall Garrett)
Faster than light.
1956 Chronoscopy (from The Dead Past by Isaac Asimov)
Using a device to view different points in time.
1956 Vehicle Sleep Sensor (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Better stay awake, the machines know if you're sleeping.
1956 Hammer (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Flying blunt trauma weapon remote-controlled by an artificially intelligent computer.
1956 Living Advertising Character (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
Modifying an ordinary person to create a living likeness of a company's brand symbol or character.
1956 Jaunte Stage (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A cleared space that existed to serve the needs of people who would jaunte (teleport) into that space.
1956 Infiltrators (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Surveillance devices, small and insectile.
1956 Disposal-Safe (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Device to store and, if necessary, destroy documents.
1956 Robot Bartender (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
An automated, mechanical bar tending robot.
1956 Saga (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
You become a part of the great adventures of history.
1956 Matter Organizer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device that could cause a computer-generated image to be constructed as a real object.
1956 Space-Beacon (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Device used to guide a space craft into finding an inhabited planet or colony on a planet.
1956 Sunpower Station (from The Last Question by Isaac Asimov)
An orbiting solar collector, beaming energy down to Earth.
1956 Central Computer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A computer capable of running an entire city.
1956 Hired Girl Robot (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
The amazing floor-cleaning robot!
1956 Space-Boat (Rocket Boat) (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Small craft designed for descent and then take-off from a planetary surface.
1956 Mutated Kodiak Bears (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Animals modified for increased intelligence for defense and companionship.
1956 Internal Body Power Pack (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A tiny battery used to power implants.
1956 Sargasso Asteroid (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A planetoid built from natural rock and the salvaged wreckage of space craft.
1956 Slug (from Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert)
An underwater "barge", consisting of a giant tube for transporting oil.
1956 Diaspar Memory (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
The city's memory could store works of art, and reproduce them upon request.
1956 Hush Corner (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A space made private by canceling sound waves in that area.
1956 Universal Checkbook (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Fully electronic banking system, which allows easy withdrawal of funds from any bank.
1956 Invulnerable Wall (from Jackpot by Clifford Simak)
A material created by insects that grew stronger as it was compressed.
1956 Eager Beaver (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Your friendly robot helper.
1956 Landing Pit (Drydock and Construction) (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A cylindrical hole with anti-gravity screens for use in spacecraft landings and repair.
1956 Life Wand (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
Shoots a powerful ray of energy.
1956 Robot Watchdog (from The Rivals by Robert Silverberg)
A mechanical and mostly autonomous pet.
1956 Stasis (Cold Sleep, Hibernation) (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Hibernation for human beings, lasting for many years.
1956 Eagle With Camera (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
A live bald eagle equipped with a transmitting camera.
1956 Anti-Heptant (from To Live Forever by Jack Vance)
A compound that erases specific areas of the brain.
1956 Dental Switchboard (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A control device tied in with teeth and nerve endings.
1956 Flexible Frank (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
An all-purpose household robot.
1956 Robotic Hand (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
A dexterous manipulator for robots.
1956 PyrE (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A thermonuclear explosive that is detonated by thought alone.
1956 Bounce Tube (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A people-sized pneumatic tube system used for short, quick trips in the vertical dimension.
1956 Drafting Dan (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
The first computer software drafting program (Computer Aided Design - CAD).
1956 Juvenile (from The Man Who Japed by Philip K. Dick)
A robot designed to sneak around and spy on people.
1956 Regen-Buds (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Small collection of cells that can regrow into human limbs.
1956 Metal BIrds (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Surveillance robots that carried weapons, in addition to using their metal bodies.
1956 Vacutubes (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A system of public transportation that used partially evacuated tubes and capsules big enough for passengers.
1956 Alcoholic Reliever (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Mechanized relief from alcoholism.
1956 Rex Regenerator (Mechanotherapist) (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Mechanotherapy device cures homicidal urges.
1956 Home Therapy Appliances, Inc. (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
A store at which a variety of therapy devices are made available
1956 Biltong Life Form (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick)
Remarkable organic manufacturing aliens, probably indigenous to the Centaurus system.
1956 Fusion Power (from The Judas Valley by Gerald Vance)
Creating energy from nuclear fusion reactions.
1956 Mechanical Jokester (from Jokester by Isaac Asimov)
A vast computer system learns about humor.
1956 Cider Press (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
Device used to make acceleration above 1 gravity more tolerable for groundhogs.
1956 Whisper Line (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A means of communication between prisoners held in wide separation.
1956 Teakettle (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A standard rocket (uses hydrogen as a booster to leave the atmosphere).
1956 Floating Lunar Dust (from Dust Rag by Hal Clement)
Electrostatically charged particles that float above the surface of the Moon.
1956 Refurbished Nervous System (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
Your nerves are rewired for 5-10 times the speed of a normal person.
1956 Precrime (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
A system by which criminal acts are known before they occur.
1956 Maximum-security Booth (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A special phone booth for receiving high-security, scrambled telephone calls, calls which included 3D visuals.
1956 Retinal Light (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
An internal flashlight.
1956 Virtual Immortality (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A method for storing the mind and memories of a person, and recalling and reconstituting them at will.
1956 Precrime Analytical Wing (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
Contains the precognitives and the machinery need to hear and analyze their predictions of future crimes.
1956 Robots Earn For Individuals (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks)
The point at which humanoid robots with AGI can be purchased and then rented out by ordinary people, for a profit.
1956 Window-Willie (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
A robot that cleaned windows by electrostatic repulsion of dust and grime.
1956 Puddinged (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick)
A poorly formed 3D printed copy, with an interior that was a mass of malformed material.
1956 Post-Crime (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
Criminal activities after they have actually happened.
1956 Boxing Robot (from Steel by Richard Matheson)
Robots that fight in exhibitions, in the ring, for spectators.
1956 Precog (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
A person with precognitive ability (can predict the future).
1956 Robot Row - Robots For Consumers (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks)
The adoption curve for personal robots will accelerate like the curve for automobiles.
1956 Solido (from Chance of a Lifetime by Milton Lesser)
Abbr. for solidograph; a device that produced a solid three dimensional image.
1956 Robots Learn With Cameras (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks)
Robots learn new actions by recording them with a camera, doing away with expensive programming.
1956 Empath (from Empath by J.T. McIntosh)
A being capable of telepathic empathy with others.
1956 Analogue (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A combination of a drug and a particular mental state allow a person to devolve to an animal level of their choice.
1956 Sympathetic Block (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A way to keep certain mental contents from being spoken or revealed.
1956 Dancing Robot (from The Instigators by Raymond E. Banks)
A humanoid robot able to perform dance moves.
1956 Pencil Beam (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A thin tube-like laser beam weapon.
1956 Fluid Metal Letters (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A smooth metal display able to display words.
1956 Hand Computer (from The Dead Past by Isaac Asimov)
A small pocket-sized computing device.
1957 Glass Bees (from The Glass Bees by Ernst Junger)
Walnut-sized flying automata.
1957 Magnetic Control of Nebulae (from The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle)
Controlling the structure and shape of nebulae using magnetic fields.
1957 Inter-Universal Messenger (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device intended to travel to another dimension.
1957 Storer-Gulls Wings (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein)
Recreational aid for lunar colonists; lightweight wings for cave flying.
1957 Fenton Silencer (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device to cancel noise over a broad area.
1957 Gravity Well (from Life Cycle by Poul Anderson)
If you visualize spacetime as a flat, elastic plane, a planet will deform it, and it sits at the bottom of its own hole.
1957 Automated Factories (from The Peacemongers by Poul Anderson)
Manufacturing facilities that do not require human workers.
1957 Robobus (from Robots Are Nice? by Gordon R. Dickson)
An autonomous vehicle for picking up some number of passengers.
1957 City Fathers (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A set of computer systems which run every mechanical system in a city.
1957 Robocide (from Robots Are Nice? by Gordon R. Dickson)
Deliberate destruction of robots.
1957 Flying Cone (from Fugitive of the Stars by Edmond Hamilton)
A vehicle for 1-3 persons that hovers and has mechanical arms.
1957 Dropshaft (from Deeper Than the Darkness by Harlan Ellison)
An elevator shaft with no elevator - the "lift" is from gravity or suppressed inertia.
1957 Bethé blasters (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Powerful enough to destroy a flying city.
1957 Spindizzy (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that made use of a relationship between electron spin, electromagnetism and gravity allowed any object to leave the Earth's surface.
1957 Dirac Transmitter (also Tranceiver or Communicator) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that provides instantaneous communication anywhere in the galaxy.
1957 Tin Cabby (Flying Robotic Taxi) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
An autonomously controlled flying taxi cab.
1957 Molecular Sieve (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device that can extract any element from seawater.
1957 Prime Command (from Robots Are Nice? by Gordon R. Dickson)
A universal order or principle carried out by every robotic device.
1957 Robot Situation Neurosis (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
Robots go mad when given competing instructions.
1957 Brood Assembly (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Artificially intelligent computers that can replicate themselves.
1957 Phymech (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison)
A robotic physician.
1957 Launching Cradle (from Needler by Gordon Randall Garrett)
A place for a spherical space craft to sit in gravity.
1957 Galactovue (from Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein)
Star display.
1957 Machine Surveillance (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
The use of artificially intelligent computer systems to learn by monitoring all human interaction within a city.
1957 Anti-agathic drugs (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Drugs that indefinitely postpone death from old age.
1957 Gravity-Polarized Explosive (TDX) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A chemical explosive that acts at an angle to the local gravitational field.
1957 The Machine (M) (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous robot able to alter its appearance and functionality at will.
1957 Machine Psychologist (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A computer that understands and uses its knowledge of human psychology to benefit human users.
1957 Bats' Cave (Lava Tube) (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein)
A natural cavern used by moon colonists for air storage - and entertainment.
1957 Accelerated Schooling Helmet (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that stimulates the brain and imparts knowledge directly.
1957 Crop Algae (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Growing algae in tanks as a source of basic food stock.
1957 Mechanical Cleaning Device (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A small, ground-based autonomous robot doing basic janitorial work.
1957 Battle Tank Display (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Three-dimensional display showing tactical information for space battles.
1957 Eavesdropper (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Device to detect the presence of recording devices.
1957 Jurymech (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison)
A robotic entity serving the function of a trial jury.
1957 Prosthetic Robotic Arm (Thought-Attuned) (from Bleekman's Planet by Ivar Jorgensen)
A detachable robotic arm, controlled directly through neural linkage.
1957 Neural Door Lock (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A device that provides access based on neurological data.
1957 Robocop (from Wanted in Surgery by Harlan Ellison)
A robotic police officer.
1957 Death-Rattle (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A device that sends a signal upon brain death of the user.
1957 Remote Control Taxicab (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A cab that is piloted by a remote operator.
1957 Police Detection Robot (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
An automated evidence-gathering robot.
1957 Teleoperated Lab Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A robot is used to conduct experiments in an environment too extreme for humans.
1957 Space Armor (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Armored space suits for use in vacuum.
1957 Accelerated Schooling (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Knowledge force-fed directly into the brain.
1957 Toposcope (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A special helmet used in a form of sleep teaching.
1957 Oxygen Pill (from Get Out Of Our Skies! by E.K. Jarvis)
Meets your need for oxygen without additional breathing.
1957 Roller (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak)
Two passenger vehicle designed for off-road use on alien planets.
1957 Spacefaring (from Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein)
A nation or people who explore and trade in space.
1957 Robot-Referee (from Jingle in the Jungle by Aldo Giunta)
An autonomous robot judge at athletic events.
1957 Inverspace (from Deeper Than the Darkness by Harlan Ellison)
For faster than light travel.
1957 Peeper (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak)
A device that unlocked the dreams and fantasies inherent in the user's brain.
1957 Jump-Along (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
Computer used for calculating jumps between stars.
1957 Planetary Computer Network (from Dialogues by Stanislaw Lem)
A global data net.
1957 Manshonyagger (from Mark Elf by Cordwainer Smith)
An autonomous fighting robot.
1957 Project X (from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand)
A device that produces sound rays that are intolerable to living things.
1957 Proselytizing Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A robotic preacher; designed for use where believers are unwelcome.
1957 Teleoperated Beetle Car (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A remotely-operated robotic vehicle that permitted telepresence.
1957 Fight Machine (Boxing Robot) (from Jingle in the Jungle by Aldo Giunta)
An autonomous boxer.
1957 Lunar Advertisement (from Watch This Space by Arthur C. Clarke)
An 'ad' on the lunar surface that can be seen by its audience on Earth.
1957 Lifescoot (from Deeper Than the Darkness by Harlan Ellison)
A spaceship's lifeboat.
1957 Jumpship (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
A spaceship capable of making interstellar jumps, that is, it could move over vast distances instantaneously.
1957 Stellar Analog Computers (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
Special systems used to calculate safe "jumps" for interstellar trips.
1958 Robot Brother (from Brother Robot by Henry Slesar)
A roboticist brings home a robot brother for his natural son.
1958 Plastotek (from Menace From Vega by Robert Randall)
False skin disguise.
1958 Pocket Computer (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized computer.
1958 Thought-Record Helmet (from Menace From Vega by Robert Randall)
A wearable history book.
1958 Robot Snake (from Bait for the Tiger by Lee Chaytor)
A mechanical reptile, with no legs.
1958 Chin Window (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
An aperture that allows an astronaut to see his own feet (greater field of view).
1958 Skew-Flip Turnover (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
Used halfway to the destination by torch ships to slow for one's destination.
1958 Cone of Silence (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
Distortion field that limits the carrying power of voice or other vibration; it accomplishes noise reduction with an image-vibration 180 degrees out of phase.
1958 Photosight (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
An automotive device that automatically follows a painted white line on the roadway, letting the car drive itself.
1958 Gyro Two-Wheeled Truck (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
A gyroscopically-stabilized truck with just two wheels.
1958 Neutronic Shielding (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
Very high density monomolecular shielding
1958 Tik-Talker (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
A method of scrambling spoken speech for encoded transmission.
1958 Farside (from We Have Fed Our Sea by Poul Anderson)
The portion of the Moon's surface that faces away from Earth.
1958 Edge Controls (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized device using controls on the edge of the device, leaving the face for display purposes only.
1958 Predictable Crime (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov)
A criminal act that computers were able to foresee in advance.
1958 Venus Cities Float In Atmosphere (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
Cloud cities on Venus.
1958 Pressurized Penthouse (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
A stratospheric perch - if buildings are tall enough, you'll need this.
1958 Asteroid-Metal (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
Metal mined from asteroids.
1958 Walking Mill (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
The ultimate combine - giant metal centipede walks through fields, harvesting wheat, threshing, grinding and finally baking bread right in the field.
1958 Magnetic Pinions (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance)
Remote control electromagnetic handcuffs.
1958 The Hub (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance)
A large space resort consisting of inhabitable bubbles in a metal framework.
1958 Machine Suicide (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov)
A self-aware computer system wants to destroy itself.
1958 Computers Improve Computers (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
The idea that it will be possible for computers to design more advanced computers.
1958 Self-Service Cafeteria (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
Food on demand.
1958 Nose Gun (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison)
Weapon system located up high.
1958 Build A Planet With Asteroids (from And Then the Town Took Off by Richard Wilson)
The idea that it is possible to gather up enough of the asteroids in the solar system to "build" a planet out of the scraps.
1958 Life Detector Shield (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
An electronic field that is intended to shield living tissue from a Life Detector.
1958 Teaching a Robot (from Lenny by Isaac Asimov)
Giving instruction to a robot whose brain is not preprogrammed or otherwise fitted for a particular task.
1958 Lunar Observatory (from We Have Fed Our Sea by Poul Anderson)
Putting an observatory on the far side of the Moon could have advantages.
1958 Espionage Machine (from No, No, Not Rogov! by Cordwainer Smith)
A machine that makes it possible to experience the sensations of another person at a distance.
1958 Flexible Wall Sheet Display (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A large clear sheet that displays information.
1958 Life Detector (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
A device that was capable of detecting living tissue within a set radius.
1958 Palm Plate (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A device that scanned for a palm print prior to opening a door.
1958 Metamen (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A human brain placed in a purely mechanical, robotic body.
1958 Impactor Determines Composition (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
The use of an impactor to smash into a small celestial body; watching the impact can determine the composition of the small body.
1958 Brain Class (from But Who Can Replace A Man by Brian Aldiss)
Class ten brain is the lowest.
1958 Unlocker Robot (from But Who Can Replace A Man by Brian Aldiss)
An autonomous device that unlocked doors, as needed.
1958 Circuit Inhibiting Destructiveness (from To Please The Master by Margaret St. Clair)
Ensuring that robots take on the responsibility of pleasing their masters, and obeying their orders.
1958 Para-Beam (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A beam of energy that paralyzes the victim.
1958 Chin Plates (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
A means of control within a space suit helmet; switching between options with the chin.
1958 Robot Conductor (from The Woman You Wanted by Robert Silverberg)
A robot that serves as the conductor on a bus.
1958 Ethical Suicide Parlor (from Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
A comfy environment in which you might commit ethical suicide, and thereby serve society.
1958 Police Robot (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison)
A fully autonomous, man-shaped robotic police officer.
1958 Landing Legs (from No Planet Is Safe by Harlan Ellison)
Projections from the base of a space craft that allow it to land upright in gravity.
1958 Celestial Atlas (from No Planet Is Safe by Harlan Ellison)
Planet-by-planet descriptions throughout known space.
1958 Field-Minder (from But Who Can Replace A Man by Brian Aldiss)
An agricultural robot.
1958 Space Suit Helmet Rearview Mirror (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
Having a way to easily see behind you while wearing a spacesuit.
1958 Firebulance (from Vector by Margaret St. Clair)
An ambulance equipped to sterilize by fire.
1958 Hypo Arm (from Simulated Trainer by Harry Harrison)
A robotic arm used to autonomously deliver pharmaceuticals to patients.
1959 Intelligent Trash Sorting (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Robots sort the garbage - almost completely.
1959 Clone (from The Clone by Theodore L Thomas)
The aggregate of individual organisms descended by asexual reproduction from a single sexually produced individual.
1959 Mark IV Door Keeping Robot (from The Man Who Could Not Stop by A. Bertram Chandler)
A robotic device for responding (and scanning) people who come to your door.
1959 Talking Bomb (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
A psychological warfare weapon that talks to the enemy.
1959 Transmog (from Installment Plan by Clifford Simak)
A small device easily installed in a robot to alter its skill set.
1959 Human Supervision Of Robots (from Installment Plan by Clifford Simak)
The notion that there should be a rule that groups of robots should always have human supervision and direction.
1959 Neodog (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
Canine-derived animal, genetically engineered for increased intelligence and speech.
1959 Magnetically Floating Furniture (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
Furniture that is suspended at the proper height using magnetic forces.
1959 Saddle (from The Big Front Yard by Clifford Simak)
A comfortable riding saddle - minus the horse.
1959 Grass Carpet (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
An indoor home or office floor covering - living grass.
1959 Robot Trash Collectors (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Robots that drive and operate garbage trucks.
1959 Memo-Voice (from War Game by Philip K. Dick)
Paper memos that read themselves out loud.
1959 Powered Armor (or Powered Suit) (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
An armored suit that magnifies the power of the soldier's muscles, along with other weapons.
1959 Hands Free Helmet (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
The helmet of a powered suit has controls activated by head movements.
1959 Sentenced Man (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
A person who commits asocial actions and lives in society, but in reduced circumstances.
1959 Personality Death (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Punishment leaves the body intact.
1959 Flying Eye (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
A remote-controlled device for surveillance overflight.
1959 Robot Spectra Analyzer (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
Device used to find ones position in real space.
1959 Electromechanical Educator (from The Fourth R by George O. Smith)
An automated teaching machine.
1959 Metallic Marx (from The Robots Strike by Harry Harrison)
A robot who strikes for better working conditions.
1959 Toy Testing Dummy (from War Game by Philip K. Dick)
A child-sized device used to test suspect toys.
1959 Robot Judge (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Artificially intelligent legal machine - robes and all.
1959 Robotic Trash Can (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
A sensor-equipped waste can capable of autonomous cleaning - and legal judgement.
1959 Hyperspace Beacon (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
Located in real space, these devices provide reference points in hyperspace to make navigation possible.
1959 Human Object Recognition (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
System uses human beings as an aid to robotic object recognition.

1600-1899  1900-1949  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000's

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(See More Science Fiction in the News)

 

 

 
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