a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Beginnings: The Times Record – 24 July 1962 p13 From as early as 1962, the General Electric Ordinance Dept. in Pittsfield, Mass., undertook a study for the US Army which may lead to the building of a manned walking machine, with arms and legs, ….. where tractors might get stuck. The mechanism for which the …
Read More “1969 – GE Walking Truck – Ralph Mosher (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)”
Edward S. Ellis' first of the dime or penny magazine fictional stories that featured the "Steam Man" had a publish date of August 1868, some 7 months AFTER the first known announcement of Dederick's actual "Steam Man" in January 1868. Note: There are those who have either mistaken or mis-represented the Ellis story date for 1865, to conveniently …
Read More “1868-1904 – Fictional Steam Man, Steam Horse, Electric Man & Electric Horse (American)”
Patent number: 209468 Filing date: Jul 26, 1878 Issue date: Oct 29, 1878 see pdf here. Although a patent for a toy, the walking mechanism is what's important here. On the whole, I have found that toys, particularly those that actually made it into production, show proof of concept in most cases, and that future …
Read More “1878 – Toy Mechanical Horse – Andrew J. Davis (American)”
Patent number: 200266 Filing date: Aug 4, 1877 Issue date: Feb 12, 1878 see full patent here. The Independent 01 Mar 1927 p5 A man by the name of Doyle, … invented a power horse that was little short of a marvel of ingenuity and that imitated the movemenents of a real horse almost perfect|y. …