a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
There are various websites that contain the full pdf of Meccano Instruction manuals and Meccano Magazines. You can download them from nzmeccano.com . An early model from 1975. See also Wes Dalefield's excellent site on the Meccano Giant Walking Dragline here. See real Walking Draglines and illustrations on the walking mechanism here.
1925 Nilsson Walking Tractor It is not always possible to use vehicles with wheels, especially when the ground is heavy and the surface uneven. The problem of overcoming the difficulty has long occupied the attention of inventors, and a new type of transmission was evolved when caterpillar action was used for the tanks during the …
Read More “1928 – Meccano Walking Tractor – A. L. Spilhaus (Sth African) and C. Lee (British)”
Erector: Metal construction modelling sets invented in 1911 and patented in 1913 by A. C. Gilbert. Very similar to the earlier Meccano by Frank Hornby. Before the word "Robot" was coined and popularised from 1920 onwards, walking machines resembling people were called "Mechanical Men" or "Automatons". Erector called one of their early moving constructions a …
Read More “1916-> Erector Robot Models – A. C. Gilbert (American)”
Andreas Konkoly, a renowned Meccanoman, built many walking machines and robots in his lifetime. This reproduction, by S. Tokarski shows the Magic Motor (clockwork spring) power drive. For weight distribution and size, the drive is mounted in the rickshaw, and a driveshaft extends forward to the walking mechanism in the "Coolie". The walking motion is rather simplistic, …
Read More “Meccano Walking Rickshaws – Andreas Konkoly (Hungarian) and 2005 Phil Edwards (American)”
LONDON – ALL SET FOR SANTA aka CHRISTMAS TOY FAIR Meccano promotional robot at the1965 Christmas Toy Fair, London. The robot's head turns, ears spin, eye lights flash, mouth opens and closes, chest lights flash, each arm can move up and down and the head's antenna rotates. It appears that one leg may move, and the …