a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Engineer Lester. H. Waechter stands next to a Mobot, a type of robot manufactured by the Hughes Aircraft Company for use in areas too hazardous for humans to work in. Fullerton, California. Remotely Controlled MOBOT* (Mobile Robot) system manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company, Fullerton, Calif., for the Atomic Energy Division of the Phillips Petroleum Company, …
MOBOT Mark I (ReMOte roBOT) – Remote Mobile Handler – 1959. MOBOT DISPLAYS ITS ARM – press release 9 Sep 1959 Robert W. Henderson, lft, vice presedent of Sandia Corp., and Dr. Allen E. Puckett of Hughes Aircraft, look over the arms of Mobot Mark I which was unveiled here today. It was developed at Hughes …
My research into the world of early robots and automatons occassionally unearths some interesting articles. Here's one of them. Whilst not related to my main theme, I thought I would publish it anyway. This article is amazingly prescient – imagining a world with personal listening devices, talking books etc – iPods and eBooks of the future! …
Read More “1885 – Early iPod and eBook specification – Mr. Belmer (French)”
"Psycho" at the Museum of Science, London. (Image source: Mechanical Toys – Charles Bartholomew) My intent in putting up this entry is to draw attention on the aspect of remote control by which the slave component is anthropomorphic. This fits in with the early history of teleoperators and manipulators. All other aspects of "Psycho" are well …
Read More “1875 “Psycho” the Whist-playing Automaton – Maskelyne & Clarke (British)”
John Gaughan's version of "The Turk" Like my post on Maskelyne's "Psycho" and "Zoe" automatons, the interest here is its place in history in terms of remote master-slave manipulators, and I shall confine myself to just that. There is significant other matter on "The Turk" published elsewhere already. Well established as a fake contrivance [pseudo automaton, faux (false) automaton], …
Read More “1770 – “The Turk” Chess Automaton – Wolfgang von Kempelen (Hungarian)”