First year of skating and he's in the Follies!
Commander Robot is a 7-foot, 4-inch aluminum and plexiglass creation whose skating skill rates him a featured spot in Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies of 1969—as well as an admiring glance from another skater who obviously is not a robot. The robot's creator, Dave Colman, demonstrates the radio gear that transmits to the robot's 14-channel receiver to activate seven motors and control movement. In the robot are 50 pounds of batteries, clusters of servo switches, tape recorder, assorted lights and two 1/50th hp motors that drive sprockets that bite into the ice to make him move.
Greeting customers at a new American Savings office in 1973, was Ralph Roger Robot. He was a 7 1/2 foot tall talking robot that was originally built for the Ice Capades. In addition to talking, Ralph could walk and shake hands. On this day, he was escorted by Kay Witte.
Commander Robot evolved to Ralph Roger Robot.
I worked with Dave at The Robot Factory. I traveled with him and his robot crew to trade shows where we marketed Harry on his trike or his jazzy piano playing brother and some of his friends. Kids loved them. The giant robot Roger could actually ice skate and was featured in ice shows with icecapades in mid '60's. Roger also dances with the Jackson's on the Jackson Fives show on ABC.
Apparently Playboy Playmate Bonnie Large worked with him before she became a Playmate. Ralph was mentioned a few times in the article in that issue. The article Is available here (Not Safe for Work Link FYI, it includes pictures from that photoshoot)
http://vintage.nudesfor.me/playboy-playmate-bonnie-large/
FIRST team 2996 from Colorado Springs received many of these robots, including Ralph and Six. We plan to repair them and take them to demos. So glad we found this site! Really gives some perspective. We had NO idea!