1929 – Writing Robot – (American? / German?)

Modern Mechanix Nov, 1931 Video Lady Robot Used to Write Window Display Advertising IN THIS mechanical age machinery is being substituted for human beings in every possible and conceivable situation. One of the latest and most unique pieces of machinery to be put to use to supplant human agency is the almost human advertising contrivance, …

1983 – VOR, OMNIVOR, OMNIVAC 1 – Tom Lonergan & Carl Frederick (American)

The VOR (Volitionally Operant Robot) is the robot of the future. Its sophisticated capabilities reflect state-of-the-art advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. Microelectronics technology has endowed the VOR with powers of sensory perception as well as locomotion and memory. It is able to comprehend and synthesize speech as well as view the world through camera …

1955 – Robot – Tim Grimes (British)

In the picture above, 17-year old Frank Grimes of Alphington, near Exeter, is seen introducing his cat to a mechanical man he has made out of odds and ends. It is powered by an electric motor, but only Frank knows the secret of how it walks backwards and forwards, swings its arms, turns its head, …

1965 – NASA Robot Astronaut – (American)

Source: Popular Mechanics August 1965. Robot Flexes 35 Joints to Test Space Suits – Popular Science May 1967. When you do physical work—pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, gripping—you encounter resistance. but how many pounds of force must you exert to overcome it? It's difficult to gauge. That's the job these articulated dummies are built to do. …