1962 – Big Cyber Tortoise – (Russian)

Translation:  "The Big Cyber Tortoise – a mobile adaptive automat. Made in 60-s by the experimental factory of the former ZNANIE (http://www.znanie.org/OZR/history.htm ) It has technical vision and sounds recognition and able to find a light source and avoid obstacles".   This tortoise is in the Polytechnical Museum in Moscow (http://eng.polymus.ru/)   Turtle has hearing and eyesight, …

1961 – Ferdinand Autonomous Robot Mod I – JHU APL (American)

  JOHNS HOPKINS APL TECHNICAL DIGEST, VOLUME 24, NUMBER 1 (2003) p59 APL has had a distinguished history in decision support and situational awareness. For example, during the 1950s and 1960s, the Laboratory was critically engaged in the development of weapon control systems and the Navy Tactical Data System (NTDS), and performed the first experiments …

1952 – Unknown Robot – M.I.T. (American)

Little is known about this roving robot. It is tethered, so not truely autonomous.  Responses are drive motion and direction, as well as arm movement as well as hand movement, with an up-down movement probably being a 'yes' response, and a sideways shake being a 'no' response. The demonstrator is using multiple touchpoints around the …

1959 – Machina Combinatrix – Kretz / Angyan / Zemanek (Austrian)

The above three images suggest there is a film clip out there somewhere. The Vienna Tortoises: Left: 1954 Eichler's Schildkröte; Centre: 1959 Kretz/Angyan/Zemanek Machina Combinatrix; Right: 1965 Bielowski Schildkröte HANS KRETZ: An Interview Conducted by David Morton, IEEE History Center, 25 July 1996 Interview #283 for the IEEE History Center, The Institute of Electrical and …

1950 – Maze-Solving Mouse – Claude Shannon (American)

The diagrammatic view of the 1950-1 Maze-solving Mouse built by Claude A. Shannon. Claude Shannon knew Edmund C. Berkeley quite well. Berkeley had two young associates working part-time with him on his early robots, by the names of Ivan and Bert Sutherland.  Ivan was soon to have Claude Shannon as his Thesis supervisor.  Berkeley was keen …