a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
I first saw this mentioned in David M. Earle's interesting book titled "Re-Covering Modernism: Pulps, Paperbacks, and the Prejudice of Form", but John Ptak's recent post reminded me of it. I have used his image of the prototype walking machine. The model of King Grey, the Electric Titan. Although called "Electric", the motive power is …
Read More “1916 – “King Grey” the Electric Titan – Fern Pieper (American)”
Aizawa's Remote Controlled Train (Popular Mechanics, Nov, 1936) article was popularised in blog.modernmechanix.com . Sadly, Jiro Aizawa was not named as the inventor in the article. Robot Engine Built in Japan Is Driven by Remote Control Automatic train control is understood to be a feature of a mysterious robot locomotive model built in Japan. Streamlined, but of a …
Read More “1936 – Robot Remote Controlled Train – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”
Trefor Prest creates some of the most amazing and fantastic sculpture I've ever come across. I've been to Gruyeres and seen H.R. Giger's work, seen Hans Bellmer's "Machine-Gunneress in A State of Grace", and to see Trefor's sculptures is something else again. His maritime series has a Vernian feel about them, a world of Nautilus submarine melded with …
Read More “1972 – BioMechanical Sculpture – Trefor Prest (Welsh-Australian)”
When I first saw information on Scherman's Steam Man (2004), there was very little information about him. Scherman worked for Disney, and was the definitive person on Disney's Nautilus. His concept for a steam man is amazing. A Vernian enthusiast posted some images (flickr) found in Scherman's friend Kendall roundhouse., also showing a pin-up board of his inspiration, …
Read More “1982c – Steam Man (a.k.a. Iron Man) – Tom Scherman (American)”
William Richard Bradshaw (1851–1927) was an Irish-born American author, editor and lecturer who served as president of the New York Anti-Vivisection Society. He is known best for his science fiction-type novel The Goddess of Atvatabar: being the history of the discovery of the interior world, and conquest of Atvatabar (1892). Extract from the book. Chapter …
Read More “1892 – “Hockbockid” Walking Mechanical Ostrich (Fictional) – Bradshaw (American)”