a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
A catalogue of Cybernetic Animals, including pre-Cybernetic Creatures
The model seen here is Dr. Andre (Andrew) John Angyan's first cybernetic model, Machine Reproducatrix, built in Budapest, Hungary. It very much follows the Grey Walter tortoise in terms of construction and function (of CORA – Machina Docilis). His later machines, constructed by Kretz with Zemanek, are the subject of a later post. Image is from …
Read More “1958 – Machina Reproducatrix – Angyan (Hungarian)”
The Cybernetic section of the the Moscow Politechnical museum. You can see "Beta" in the centre. It is quite small in size. The other clear-plastic model was built for the museum and is the subject of another later post. There is a single drive motor, only driving the left-hand side wheel. The …
Read More “1957 – Cybernetic Tortoise “Beta” – Vasilyev and Petrovsky (Russian)”
**Stop Press** – See Daniel Muszka with his Ladybird at the Robots Festival Nov 30-Dec 31 2011 Science Museum, Exhibition Rd, London, SW7 2DD The Science Museum's 'Robots Festival' begins with a five-day 'Roboville' event showcasing the latest in robotic research and development – including emotibots, swimming shark robots, medical robots and autonomous moving robots. During …
Ivan Sutherland with M. Versatilis. Source: Carnegie Mellon University Archives Machina Versatilis , pictured above and below, was so named due to the versatile modular plug-in boards. M. Versatilis was the final of three models built, and at least two of this model were supposedly built. The first version, see blog post here, was originally built in …
Read More “1957 – Machina Versatilis – Ivan Sutherland (American)”
Although built as an art piece, Nicolas Schöffer's CYSP-1 (a name composed of the first letters of CYbernetics and SPatiodynamic) is significant both in terms of the introduction of a new art form, as well as being a serious attempt as an autonomous "being". Schöffer was the first artist to be inspired by the new science …
Read More “1956 – CYSP-1 – Nicolas Schöffer – (Hungarian/French)”