US #5517
2020 Robotics – Innovation
- One of five stamps celebrating American Innovation – this one commemorates advancements in the field of robotics
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Innovation
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail (Forever)
First Day of Issue: August 20, 2020
First Day City: Bellefonte, P... more
US #5517
2020 Robotics – Innovation
- One of five stamps celebrating American Innovation – this one commemorates advancements in the field of robotics
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Innovation
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail (Forever)
First Day of Issue: August 20, 2020
First Day City: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 14,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Hot Foil Stamping
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tagged
Why the stamp was issued: To honor the achievements in the field of robotics that have helped America grow into the nation it is today.
About the stamp design: Pictures block lettering of the word “Innovation” overlaying an existing photograph of a piece of machinery. Designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcalá.
Special design details: Hot foil stamping was added to the word “Innovation.” This gives the letters a holographic shimmer and makes them stand out.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue postmark was from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, but no First Day of Issue Ceremony was held due to the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic. Instead, the stamps were released during the American Philatelic Society’s Virtual Stamp Show.
About the Innovation set: Includes five stamps honoring the importance of innovation in American history – past and present. Specifically celebrates breakthroughs in the fields of computing, biomedicine, genome sequencing, robotics, and solar technology. Each design pictures block lettering of the word “Innovation” overlayed on exiting photographs related to the theme of each stamp. Stamps were designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcalá
History the stamp represents: Many of us dream of having a robot to take care of housework while we relax. While technology is not quite to that point yet, the field of robotics has come a long way since it began.
The theories needed to develop the first robots were formed by Norbert Wienert in 1948. However, it was not until later in the 20th century that those theories were applied. In fact, the first digitally operated, programmable robot did not appear until 1961. It was called the “Unimate” and was programmed to pick up hot metal and stack it in piles. This was the beginning of using robots in factories and other industrial settings. Since then, robots have been used more often for these types of tasks.
Now, robots are commonly used in the military, medical field, food service industry, and many other areas. Robots also perform tasks too dangerous for humans, such as diffusing bombs, performing tasks in ares with high levels of radiation, and more.
In 2020, the USPS issued a set of five Innovation stamps, including one design honoring robotics. Robots have been making our lives easier for decades, and society would look a lot different today without the many advances robotics has made. Who knows? One day we really might have personal robots in every home!
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