Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936) was a Spanish civil engineer, mathematician, and inventor known for his pioneering work in the fields of automation and remote control. He is credited with inventing the first operational unmanned flying machine in 1914, the "aerostat" or airship, controlled by a wireless telegraph. Torres Quevedo also designed the "Chess Automaton," a mechanical chess-playing machine that was exhibited around Europe. His contributions to the development of early computing and modern control theory have had a lasting impact on technology and engineering.