a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Humaniform automatons, mechanical men, robots covering late 19th century and the 20th century
1940 – "Roll-Oh" the Domestic Robot "Roll-Oh" can grasp objects, has a retractable knife in its hand, as well as a plant watering system, a can opener, and a gas-flame lighter. Its foot is also a vacuum-cleaner. Leave It to Roll-Oh (1940) Tongue-in-cheek film showing a domestic robot freeing housewives of their chores (and intimating …
Read More “1940 – “Roll-Oh” the Domestic Robot – (American)”
“The Psychophonic Nurse”, by David H. Keller. Published in Amazing Stories, 1928 Illustration by Frank R. Paul. The Psychophonic Nurse A child-care robot – a nanny bot. “I had her made by the Eastinghouse Electric Company. You see, she’s just a machine nurse, but as she doesn’t eat anything, is on duty twenty-four hours a …
Read More “1928 – “The Psychophonic Nurse” (Fiction) – David H. Keller (American)”
The monkey with the robot engineer. There appears to be a photo-electric cell mounted on the front. Maybe this is the 'robot' safeguard required for safe operation. Jiro Aizawa was the inventor of the robotized "Monkey Train" at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. Its been siad that he also patented the train, but I have not been able …
Read More “1948 – Ueno Zoo Robotized “Monkey Train” – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”
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)”