Baroque automatons were the world's first complex robots, powered by intricate clockwork and hydraulics.

The Golden Age of automatons peaked during the Enlightenment, led by master craftsmen like Jacques de Vaucanson and Pierre Jaquet-Droz. In 1738, Vaucanson debuted his 'Digesting Duck' in Paris, which featured over 400 moving parts in each wing alone. This mechanical marvel could drink, quack, and appear to digest grain using a complex internal chemical process. These devices utilized cam-based programming, which functioned as a physical precursor to modern computer code.At Hellbrunn Palace in Salzburg, built around 1615, the Mechanical Theatre features 256 figures powered entirely by water hydraulics. This system uses a water organ and hidden pipes to create movement and sound without any electricity. These engineering feats were deeply tied to the Cartesian philosophy of the era. René Descartes argued in his 1637 work 'Discourse on the Method' that animals and human bodies were essentially sophisticated machines.The Jaquet-Droz 'Writer' automaton, built in the 1770s, contains 6,000 custom-made components and can be programmed to write any text up to 40 letters long. This specific device is often cited by historians at the Smithsonian Institution as a direct ancestor of the programmable computer. By the late 18th century, these machines transitioned from royal curiosities to industrial inspirations. They proved that complex, repetitive tasks could be automated, directly influencing the design of early textile looms and the Industrial Revolution.