a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
1962 – Manned Auxillary Fitter Craft with Mandible. Not the name the vehicle was called in the original Sperry Gyroscope Company advertisement when it appeared in the February, 1962 issue of Scientific American Magazine. The shape is somewhat reminiscient of Wernher von Braun's "Bottle Suit", with manourvering engines top and bottom, but only one pair …
For Douglas Aircraft, in 1962, their earlier space manipulator designs, i.e., the Project Mercury converted capsule and the "Humpty Dumpty" unit, can be considered as first-generation, feasible, nonanthropomorphic devices. A much more speculative concept, but in every sense within our technological reach, is shown in figure 3 above. This is basically a space tug and …
Read More “1962 – Nonanthropomorphic Space Suit (Concept) – Douglas Aircraft Corp (American)”
"Working model of a table-clearing robot [Mk 2] designed to test the present-day feasibility of principles required for the house-working robot and other machines. The model has one 'sight' and two 'touch' sensors which enable the mechanical arm to pick up objects and place them on the rotating, clearing tray on top of the machine." …
Read More “1962 – Table-Clearing Robot – Meredith Thring (Australian/British)”
The Jetsons live in the year 2062 in a futuristic utopia (100 years in the future at the time of the show's debut) of elaborate robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions. Robotic vacuum cleaner. This console activates the washing, ironing, and vacuuming. Antennas imply radio-control. Image source Paleofuture Rosie with her sweeping and vacuuming …
Read More “1962-3 – The Jetsons Automatic Vacuum Cleaner – Hanna-Barbera (American)”
Robots on display at the Regional exhibition of Technical Creativity Pioneers (Kirov, 1962). Source: Tornado 84