a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Ivan Sutherland with M. Versatilis. Source: Carnegie Mellon University Archives Machina Versatilis , pictured above and below, was so named due to the versatile modular plug-in boards. M. Versatilis was the final of three models built, and at least two of this model were supposedly built. The first version, see blog post here, was originally built in …
Read More “1957 – Machina Versatilis – Ivan Sutherland (American)”
Each press article of the day offered a different snippet about Captain William H. Richards’ Eric Robot. I will summerise them here. Eric Robot was constructed at Gomshall, near Dorking [see note below], by Captain William H. Richards, a veteran of the First World War, and a noted journalist and A. H. Reffell, a motor engineer.  What caused its invention was the …
Read More “1928 – Eric Robot – Capt. Richards & A.H. Reffell (English)”
Although built as an art piece, Nicolas Schöffer's CYSP-1 (a name composed of the first letters of CYbernetics and SPatiodynamic) is significant both in terms of the introduction of a new art form, as well as being a serious attempt as an autonomous "being". Schöffer was the first artist to be inspired by the new science …
Read More “1956 – CYSP-1 – Nicolas Schöffer – (Hungarian/French)”
This copy of a letter from 1957 describes the first "Mechanical Animal" built by the Sutherland brothers, Bert and Ivan. Here’s a transcript of the letter sent from Ivan E. Sutherland to Grey Walter in 1957: Nov 10. [IES to WGW] “Dear Sir: Early last month I had sent to you two copies of …
Snail Robot by Versal Cross High-School Robots Learn the “Three Rs” By Jim Collison – Popular Mechanics July 1955 There is also a little robot. Versal Cross, 17, the senior student who built it calls it a Doodlebug or Snail. The Snail follows a beam of light and, having lost it, searches until it finds …