a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Humaniform automatons, mechanical men, robots covering late 19th century and the 20th century
See video clips here and here. I don't know much about Romoletto (also called "Romollo II" by someone else on the net). He was shown at the IV RASSEGNA INTERNAZIONALE ELETTRONICA NUCLEARE E TELERADIO-CINEMATOGRAPHICA exhibition in Rome, 1957. Maybe someone could offer a transcription of the Italian voiceover in the video clips.
Radio Control Models & Electronics, September 1960 p244-5 CYGAN – Dr. Fiorito’s Giant Electronic Robot From Italian Rassegna di Modellismo This fantastic model is the work of Dr. Ing. Fiorito, a keen aeromodeller from Turin, who has been working on a whole series of such models and fitted them with radio control circuits. Construction – …
Read More “1957 – “Gygan” aka “Cygan” aka “Mr Moto” – Piero Fiorito (Italian)”
14-year-old inventor Donald Rich with Robotron walking robot designed as a computer at International Gadget & Invention show at Madison Square Garden. [Getty image] (above image from Jim Linderman's site) text from Corpus Christi Times Fri Aug 9 1957 p10. DOES EVERYTHING BUT TALK – Ready to respond to his master's directions is Robetron a …
Read More “1957 “Robetron” aka “Robotron” – Donald Rich (American)”
VIDEO: SCHOOLBOYS EXHIBITION Your browser does not support iframes. A pdf containing the 1955 and the 1965 versions is available here. The larger version is descibed in the December 1965 issue of Radio Control Models and Electronics, but in Radio-controlled form. It was built much earlier. Here's the introduction to that 1965 issue: Meet The …
Read More “1954-65 – “Mr. Robotham” – Peter Holland – (British)”
March 23, 1954 ROBOT DEMONSTRATED: In Cranston, R.I., yesterday—Sherwood Fuehrer, 13, operated the controls of a robot he built from cans, gears, motors, die castings and other articles too numerous to mention. The robot —5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 92 pounds—can hold a plate of cookies and pass them to guests. [Below] The …
Read More “1954 – “Gismo the Peaceful” – Sherwood Fuehrer (American)”