1960 – Cycloidal Propulsion Omnidirectional Drive – Howard Hansen (American)

CLARK'S experimental cycloidal machine. Two non-drive rear wheels counter torque. Source: Mechanix Illustrated, April 1963. CYCLOIDAL PROPULSION A revolution in land vehicles may come from this new invention which can provide perfect maneuverability. PUT a pencil at the top of a sheet of paper and start making loops—as if you were practicing a capital O, …

1983 – “Kludge” Omnidirectional Mobile Robot – John M. Holland (American)

1983 – "Kludge" Omnidirectional Mobile Robot by John M. Holland. Kludge with legs contracted. Kludge at a 1984 exhibition. John M. Holland. The focus in this post is on the unique mobility base, and not on its navigation and sensor qualities. Patent Information: Publication number    US4573548 A Publication date    4 Mar 1986 Filing date    23 …

1984 – FETAL I Omnidirectional Robot – William H. T. La (Vietnamese/American)

FETAL I had its major public appearance at the International Personal Robots Congress (IPRC) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1984. Fetal I, constructed by Bill La, is a three-wheeled vehicle capable of moving in any direction, A later prototype, Fetal II [no picture available], was presented a Golden Droid award at the 1984 IPRC. …

1983 – MARVIN Robot – David Gossman et al (American)

1983 – "MARVIN" the Robot by David Gossman et al. (Image source: Robot Tech Talk, 1985 by Ed  Radlauer.) MARVIN MARK I – "Mobile Anthropomorphic Robot VINtage high tech robot" Marvin Mark I moves around the room, talks with a synthesized voice using his 500-word vocabulary, moves his head, has sonar ranging on board, and …

1978 – “Kermit” the Robot – Ron Milner and Larry Nicolson (American)

1978 – "Kermit" the Robot by Ron Milner and Larry Nicolson of Cyan Engineering for Atari Inc. Owen Rubin Shows "Kermit" Ataris Prototype Robot Pet from Jeri Ellsworth on Vimeo. Images from Owen Rubin's website here. Kermit's fabricated security pass. The Story Of Kermit The Robot by Owen Rubin. I did not build Kermit. It …