1964 – Painting Machine(s) – “Larry Flint” (American)

In the movie "What A Way To Go!", "Larry Flint" creates painting machines to produce his abstract art. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rps9NZPesh4#t=2696s Plot This lavishly produced, big-budget comedy (it cost $20 million in 1964 dollars) stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa, a widow who is worth $200 million dollars. However, she's convinced that her fortune is cursed, and she …

1950c – NERISSA Artificial Nerve – W. Grey Walter (British)

NERISSA.- A Nerve Excitation, Inhibition and Synaptic Analogue. This demonstrates particularly the relationship between the various parameters of nervous action such as finite propagation rate, excitation threshold, all-or-none conduction, strength-duration curves of excitability, refractory periods, Wedensky synaptic facilitation and inhibition, inhibitory escape and rebound, transmission of information by pulse interval modulation, and anomalies of " …

W. Grey Walter’s Tortoises – Self-recognition and Narcissism

Self-recognition and the Mirror Dance [Image source: An Imitation of Life,  Scientific American, May 1950, p42-45.] 7 . Self-recognition. The machines are fitted with a small flash-lamp bulb in the head which is turned off automatically whenever the photo-cell receives an adequate light signal. When a mirror or white surface is encountered the reflected light …