a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
There are at least two variations of the walking machines attributed to Prof. Joseph E. Shigley, then from the University of Michigan. The first relates to the pantograph leg with some descriptions suggesting up to 16 legs were to be used – 4 gangs of 4 legs so a leg was on the ground at any …
Read More “1957-60 – Walking Machine(s) – Joseph Shigley (American)”
See video clips here and here. I don't know much about Romoletto (also called "Romollo II" by someone else on the net). He was shown at the IV RASSEGNA INTERNAZIONALE ELETTRONICA NUCLEARE E TELERADIO-CINEMATOGRAPHICA exhibition in Rome, 1957. Maybe someone could offer a transcription of the Italian voiceover in the video clips.
Radio Control Models & Electronics, September 1960 p244-5 CYGAN – Dr. Fiorito’s Giant Electronic Robot From Italian Rassegna di Modellismo This fantastic model is the work of Dr. Ing. Fiorito, a keen aeromodeller from Turin, who has been working on a whole series of such models and fitted them with radio control circuits. Construction – …
Read More “1957 – “Gygan” aka “Cygan” aka “Mr Moto” – Piero Fiorito (Italian)”
14-year-old inventor Donald Rich with Robotron walking robot designed as a computer at International Gadget & Invention show at Madison Square Garden. [Getty image] (above image from Jim Linderman's site) text from Corpus Christi Times Fri Aug 9 1957 p10. DOES EVERYTHING BUT TALK – Ready to respond to his master's directions is Robetron a …
Read More “1957 “Robetron” aka “Robotron” – Donald Rich (American)”
The Cybernetic section of the the Moscow Politechnical museum. You can see "Beta" in the centre. It is quite small in size. The other clear-plastic model was built for the museum and is the subject of another later post. There is a single drive motor, only driving the left-hand side wheel. The …
Read More “1957 – Cybernetic Tortoise “Beta” – Vasilyev and Petrovsky (Russian)”