a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Computopia, a contraction of the words computer and Utopia, is a Japanese concept from the late 60s. This snippet of a robotic floor cleaner is from a set of great illustrations from the Japanese magazine Shonen Sunday who illustrated an article on the topic. Source and full set of illustrations here. See other early remote-controlled …
Read More “1969 – Robot Vacuum Cleaner Concept from Computopia – (Japanese)”
US Patent Information: Publication number US4306329 A Publication date Dec 22, 1981 Filing date Oct 5, 1979 Inventors Gunpei Yokoi Original Assignee Nintendo Co., Ltd. Self-propelled cleaning device with wireless remote-control Abstract A self-propelled cleaning device with wireless remote control includes a body, a driving device on the body for moving the same rotatably about …
Read More “1978 – “Chiritori” Remote Control Vacuum Cleaner by Nintendo – Gunpei Yokoi (Japanese)”
Comro I with Vacuum Cleaner accessory. Above: ComRo I with the robot pet, Wires. (Text: Circa 1981) A bit more utilitarian than robots serving drinks or selling products is Jerome Hamlin's ComRo I. This robot made its debut in the latest Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog. It operates two ways, by hand-held remote control, or by a …
Dustbot ® 5409; SO-G ® was the first purpose-built robot to feature a built-in vacuum cleaner. Dustbot's large eyes flash red and his arms move creating a sweeping action for the broom, while his vacuum functions. He really vacuumes, he picks up small pieces of paper, dust, crumbs, etc. He senses any edge and turns …
Extract from article by Tom Carroll, Servo Magazine, Nov 2006. The above picture shows a robot vacuum cleaner that was a work of art, though a bit tall to clean under most furniture. Frank Jenkins of the Robotics Society of California demonstrated his home vac for our group 15 years ago. At 23 inches high …
Read More “1993 – “HomeR” Vacuuming Robot – Frank Jenkins (American)”