a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
HXP-022351-2/23/66-CHICAGO:One of features at Auto Show here is the robot at the Ford display. Appropriately named "Freddie Ford," mechanical man answers questions fed to it by curious visitors Robot was formed from Ford car parts & stands 12-feet tall. Model Mary Ann Laurel poses with"Freddie." UPI TELEPHOTO The earliest version of Freddie Ford, a robot employed …
Read More “1964 – “Freddie Ford” Promotional Robot – (American)”
Above image sourced from Richard Steele . Doug Trumbull, who directed the 1972 sci-fi cult film "Silent Running" and was behind the design of the drones later designed and patented a remote-controlled character called “PAL” which was first used in the Showscan film LET’S GO for the Toshiba Pavilion at Expo ’85 in Tsukuba, Japan. Closer robotic performance was achieved …
Read More “1985 – “PAL” (a.k.a. “H.E.N.R.I. VIII”) the Robot – Douglas Trumbull (American)”
Set in the near-future, this story is about an "artificial intelligence" that wants to break the confines of its "box". Dr. Alex Harris, a computer scientist and his about to be estranged wife Susan, a child psychologist live in a house that's fully computer automated with Alfred, the Enviromod Security System. His latest project centers …
Read More “1977 – “Joshua” the wheelchair Robot from “Demon Seed” – (American)”
Douglas Trumbull with Drone #02, "Huey", in his personal collection at the time. [Starlog] Doug Trumbull talking to the actors inside the Drone suits. Poor quality picture of Doug Turnbull with "Huey" in his office. [Source: The Victoria Advocate, 4 Aug 1977] Early Concept Drawings Drone Concept drawings. The credited people behing the Drones are …
Penn State Research Team Develops OctArm Soft Robot Manipulator Recent interest in expanding the capabilities of robot manipulators has led to significant research in continuum manipulators. The idea behind these robots is to replace the serial chain of rigid links in conventional manipulators with smooth, continuous, and flexible links. Unlike traditional rigid-linked robots, continuum robot …
Read More “2004 – OctArm – Christopher Rahn et al (American)”