a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Extract from article by Tom Carroll, Servo Magazine, Nov 2006. The above picture shows a robot vacuum cleaner that was a work of art, though a bit tall to clean under most furniture. Frank Jenkins of the Robotics Society of California demonstrated his home vac for our group 15 years ago. At 23 inches high …
Read More “1993 – “HomeR” Vacuuming Robot – Frank Jenkins (American)”
Christopher Noessel from scifiinterfaces.wordpress.com has already done such a great job in describing the robot vacuum cleaner from the 1997 movie "The Fifth Element" that I have re-blogged his post here: Floor sweeping robots – 22 Apr 2013 by Christopher Noessel To illustrate his capitalist ideology, (a high-tech version of the parable of …
Read More “1997 – Robotic Vacuum Cleaners from “The Fifth Element” – (American)”
Tinius the Cybernetic Turtle c1950 – An engineering student takes a robot through its paces, 1950. [RH-2013- Although looking like a turtle (tortoise) which suggests being a Grey Walter-inspired machines, With it two "eyes" appearing as though it is fixed to the steering, suggests more that it is just phototropic i.e. it is attracted to and will follow …
Read More “1950 – “Tinius” the Cybernetic Turtle – Rice University (America)”
TRANSFER ROBOT 200 – NEW BOND STREET 2607.10 | TRANSFER ROBOT 200 – NEW BOND STREET (1:13:11:00 – 1:14:31:00) 1961 London. LS. Mr Miduch, the mechanic, switches on three robots. CU. Mechanic looking on. CU. Robots working. CU. Switch panel. CU. One robot working. MS. Three robots working together, they pause and two robots …
Read More “1959 – “TransfeRobot” – Shelley et al (American)”
Programmed Article Transfer by George C. Devol Jr. See full patent details here. Patent number: 2988237 Filing date: Dec 10, 1954 Issue date: Jun 13, 1961 Joseph Engelberger on the left, George Devol Jr on the right – c1960 [Image credit: The Estate of George C. Devol] In the patent, Devol wrote, "the present invention makes available …
Read More “1954 – Programmed Article Transfer Patent – George C. Devol Jr. (American)”