1950 – “Tinius” the Cybernetic Turtle – Rice University (America)

Tinius the Cybernetic Turtle c1950 – An engineering student takes a robot through its paces, 1950.  [RH-2013- Although looking like a turtle (tortoise) which suggests being a Grey Walter-inspired machines, With it two "eyes" appearing as though it is fixed to the steering, suggests more that it is just phototropic i.e. it is attracted to and will follow …

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 …

W. Grey Walter and his Tortoises

The published posts for W. Grey Walter and his Tortoises.    ELMER – a new species of animal – M. speculatrix   ELSIE – M. speculatrix  ELSIE – upgraded  CORA – the tortoise – M. docilis    Grey Walter’s Tortoises – the video clips   Time-Lapse Photographs of ELMER with ELSIE  W. Grey Walter and the Festival of …

1979-80 HEBOT I, II & III – John FitzGerald (British)

Hobby Electronics magazine (November 1979-January 1980) describes an autonomous robot. HEBOT is a free roaming robot which can negotiate obstacles, steer towards a light (infra red) and follow a wire (A.C. current) around your home. HEBOT emits a squeak when it detects light or following a collision. Control is transferred to the wire following circuitry …

1978 – Queen Mary College Mark IV Mobile Robot – Mark Witkowski & Dave Mott (British)

The QMW Mk. IV Mobile Research Robot The final version (Mk. 4) of our first attempts at a mobile robot for machine learning research. It had a somewhat unusual (and not entirely satisfactory) drive layout with wheels at the front of the vehicle. D.C. motor drive was complemented with gray-code shaft encoders. Forward facing sensors …