automatán
An automaton, in its most general sense, is a self-operating machine. The term is often used to refer to a mechanical device that performs a complex series of actions automatically. This can range from simple clockwork figures of the past to complex industrial robots of today. Historically, automatons were often created as entertainment or to showcase ingenuity, with examples like the Mechanical Turk or Vaucanson's Digesting Duck being famous. These early devices, while impressive for their time, were limited by the mechanical technology available.
In computer science, the term automaton has a more precise and theoretical meaning. It refers to an