a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Originally published in the Electrical Experimenter (issue unknown but probably late 1916). This version from the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette 24th Dec 1916 p12 It is probably more a ‘electric dog’ than a creature built to exhibit phototropic behaviour and the like. Although it has a selenium cell, it is for selector circuit activation purposes, not …
A lot has already been published already about Seleno, try these links: http://www.davidbuckley.net/DB/HistoryMakers/HM-ElectricDog1912.htm and my Addendum. Here are some pics and excerpts showing different aspects of the "Electric Dog". Technical articles on the Electric Dog appeared in Scientific American Supplement No. 2267 p376-7 June 14, 1919 written by Benjamin Franklin Miessner, in the Electrical Experimenter, 1915, p. …
Read More “1912 – Seleno, the Electric Dog – Hammond / Miessner”
I have only come across two time-lapse photographs with both ELMER and ELSIE. One has to be careful in interpreting time-lapse photographs as there are possibly different events happening at different times, off picture interference, and possibly different start times of each tortoise. An important observation highlighted by Owen Holland is the direction of rotation …
Early Chinese Mechanical Horse / Ox The wooden ox (木牛æµé¦¬ï¼Œlit. wooden ox flowing horse) was created by Zhuge Liang while he served Shu-Han. It was a thought to be either a mechanical, walking replica of an ox whose main purpose was to carry supplies such as grain to an army that was running low on supplies. …
Read More “480 BC – Wooden Horse Carriage – Lu Ban (Chinese)”
Wooden Ox / Gliding Horse Zhu-ge Liang 230 AD Chu-Ko Liang's "Wooden Oxen and Gliding Horse" ( notice different spelling to Zhu-ge Liang ) See book "Reconstruction designs of lost ancient Chinese machinery" By Hong-Sen Yan (search google books) Models: see http://140.116.71.92/acmlab/newpage15.htm Wang-Chien Type Wooden Oxen and Gliding Horse (below) Lin-Kuanli Type Wooden Oxen and …
Read More “230 AD – Wooden Ox / Gliding Horse – Zhu-ge Liang”