From Marvel to Automation: A Re-reading of Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Jazarī’s Ingenious Mechanisms and Their Conceptual Links to Contemporary Robotics

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Authors

1 Department of Mathematics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Law, Payam Noor University, Shahr-e Ray Branch, Iran

10.22059/jihs.2026.404875.371858

Abstract

Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Jazarī (6th century AH/12th century CE), in his seminal work titled ‘al-Jāmiʿ bayn al-ʿilm wa-l-ʿamal al-nāfiʿ fī ṣināʿat al-ḥiyal’ (A Compendium of Theory and Practical Useful Mechanical Devices), presents a collection of hydraulic and automated mechanisms, accompanied by precise workshop instructions. Relying on the Topkapı manuscript and a techno-codicological analysis of its illustrations, this article demonstrates that three fundamental functional ideas are systematically embedded within al-Jazarī's systems: 1) motion conversion via the crank-slider mechanism, 2) simple level/flow feedback through floats and valves, and 3) mechanical sequencing using cams and peg-drums. Our research methodology involves a close re-examination of the textual descriptions, the extraction of kinematic chains, and a comparative analysis with later historical specimens. Case studies of the double-acting piston pump, water clocks, and automated display devices reveal that al-Jazarī's text is not merely a catalog of "marvels" but rather a presentation of reproducible mechanical logic. Consequently, the relationship between his work and contemporary robotics and automation is more conceptual than genealogical. That is, some of the principles of conversion, feedback, and sequencing that are employed in contemporary systems were formulated in a preliminary and workshop-oriented manner in his work. This reading bridges the gap between narratives of "wondrous devices" (ḥiyal) and "functional engineering," providing a framework for a dialogue between the history of technology and contemporary engineering.

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References

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