The earliest recorded (and perhaps the first) example of robotic mime can be seen as performed by Charlie Chaplin in 'Modern Times'.  Which. like all Chaplin films is as entertaining today as it was in at the beginning of the last century.  He is working on some kind of production line and imitating the movements of the machinery around him (You might want to check up on that as it's a long time since I watched it and you might not have anything better to do).

The robot has occasionally been inaccurately attributed to the late great Michael Jackson. However he mastered Bill Bailey's little known backslide, which Bill developed in the fifties, rename it moonwalk and made it popular.

Charlie Chaplin's robot didn't catch on like Michael Jackson's moonwalk.  Like Bill Bailey's backslide it was before its time in 1936, and it had to wait fifty years before it really took off. 

There are some amusing videos on Youtube of robotic dancers from the eighties.   Charlie Chaplin saw what was coming and died three years previously.

Michael Jackson died on Thursday 25th June 2009 and is sadly missed.