We trace the path from modern technology back to the scientists who developed robots, water pumps and trick mechanisms. The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in world history, shaping modern behaviour and every other aspect of human life. The introduction of machines in the 17th century, often powered by water or steam, revolutionised food production, medicine, housing, and clothing. In this episode of Science in a Golden Age, theoretical physicist, Jim al-Khalili examines the intricate automatic devices from the Islamic world, which paved the way for Europe's industrial revolution some 800 years later.