Benjamin Robins (1707 - July 29th 1751) is a Mathématicien and British Engineer more particularly known nowadays for the invention of the ballistic Pendule.

Benjamin Robins was born with Bath from a family from Quaker S in a difficult situation. He comes to London on the councils from Henry Pemberton (1694 - 1771). He studies there the Mathématiques and the languages in Autodidacte. He quickly is recognized by the British scientific community and is written as of 1727 in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in particular on the law of Jean Bernoulli concerning the displacement and the impact of the solid bodies. The same year he becomes member of this Learned society. This notoriety brings pupils to him what enables him to finance its research. He never teaches groups some, preferring the private lessons.

Robins turns to engineering, it takes share with the construction of bridges, flour mills and ports. It leaves in Flandres to study the fortifications and the drainage of the grounds. On its return in Great Britain he still writes several articles in mathematics, he defends there the theories of Isaac Newton, for example during the Robins-Jurin-Berkeley controversy which is transformed quickly, although they defend all two the point of view of Newton, into Robins-Jurin controversy. Beside this work it takes an active part in the political life of its country. He writes several lampoons being opposed to Robert Walpole and is secretary of a committee named by the House of Commons to inquire into the control of this minister.

Our time remembers especially him for its work in Balistique. Starting from the principle of conservation of the Momentum, principle of mechanical conservation of energy of the pendulum and an english bond of its invention, the ballistic Pendule it is the first to measure the speed of a bullet. He studies also the influence of resistance to the air of the projectiles. Whereas these contemporaries consider that the resistance of the air to dense displacements of objects is negligible it shows that it is a critical factor. In 1742 it off publishes New Principles Gunnery , work on which will be based many research later in this field. For these Robinson studies is frequently called father of modern ballistics .

The Royal Society decrees the to him Médaille Copley in 1747. In 1749 it is engaged as engineer by the English Compagnie of the Indies Orientales and starts to supervise the rebuilding of their forts, it prepares the defense of Madras. He dies in India in 1751 of a fever.