a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
“Ruffnik’s moniker was a riff on the name of the first Russian space satellite “Sputnik,” launched the same year that 3-D Danny premiered on Channel 13. Constructed by the prop department at WKY-TV, Oklahoma City, and shipped to Channel 13 in a large, coffin-shaped crate, “Ruffnik” was a virtual duplicate of the robot used in …
Source and further imformation, see here. (from GroupBlog 222 and 10/3/2006 email) Sharon Berry told us about the creation of Oom-A-Gog, Mark I: My daddy, Jerry Berry, made Oom-A-Gog when I was 2 or 3 years old. It was on a TV cartoon show called Dr. N. Ventor here in Kansas City, Mo. I was …
Read More “1956 – OOM-A-GOG the Robot – Jerry Berry (American)”
Reading Thoughts by Radio (Source: Popular Mechanics – May, 1924) Can thoughts be read by radio? “Madam Radora” seems to prove that they can. Madam is not a human being, but a life-size automaton shown at the Permanent Radio Fair in New York. Her “thoughts” and movements are controlled entirely by wireless; no wires of …
GYRO The Robot was created for a children’s show on WICC-TV Channel 43. He was designed and built by the Art Director of WICC-TV Morgan Kaolian in 1954. GYRO joined TRIXIE THE CLOWN on the children’s show. Trixie (Dick Chalmers) did tricks while GYRO drew pictures about outer space and sang with the kids. See …
Read More “1954 – Gyro the Robot – Morgan Kaolian (American)”
ROBOTIAN-LIKE COSTUMED FIGURE – Ernest Walling – see full patent design here. Patent number: D171959 Filing date: May 27, 1953 Issue date: Apr 1954 It looks as if it was easier for Westinghouse to use people inside Robot costumes going forward. The old robots Vocalite, Elektro, were getting on and probably costly to run.