He also created νευρόσπαστα (neurospasta) to help him around, literally traslated, nerve-tweakers (w/ nerves that spasm). That is machines whose nerves constrict and relax without thought, i.e androids.
In doing this work, Hephaestus is aided by some amphipoloi created by him (Greek amphipoloi = Latin ancillae, which means female servants), which were made of metal and which were sentient and followed exactly the commands of Hephaestus.
AFAIK, this Iliad fragment is the earliest description of robots that is known.