1988 – “Wendell” the Unicycle Rider – Garner Holt (American)

Wendell the Unicyclist premiered in 1988, and is the world’s only unicycle riding animatronic figure. He performs without any visible means of support. Source: The Illusion of Life: Lifelike Robotics, Gene W. Poor, 1991  "… But the most impressive component Garner brings to the animation marketplace is an extraordinarily creative mind with superb  problem-solving and …

1916-> Erector Robot Models – A. C. Gilbert (American)

Erector: Metal construction modelling sets invented in 1911 and patented in 1913 by A. C. Gilbert.  Very similar to the earlier Meccano by Frank Hornby. Before the word "Robot" was coined and popularised from 1920 onwards, walking machines resembling people were called "Mechanical Men" or "Automatons". Erector called one of their early moving constructions a …

Meccano Walking Rickshaws – Andreas Konkoly (Hungarian) and 2005 Phil Edwards (American)

Andreas Konkoly, a renowned Meccanoman, built many walking machines and robots in his lifetime.  This reproduction, by S. Tokarski shows the Magic Motor (clockwork spring) power drive. For weight distribution and size, the drive is mounted in the rickshaw, and a driveshaft extends forward to the walking mechanism in the "Coolie".  The walking motion is rather simplistic, …

1890 – Walking Wheel – Rescue B. Page (American)

WHEEL FOR ROAD-ENGINES by  RESCUE B. PAGE Patent number: 442780 Filing date: May 29, 1890 Issue date: Dec 16, 1890 See full patent here. Fresno Morning Republican 18 Oct 1889 p3 R. B. Page's Legs They Will Carry the Heaviest Load With Ease STEAM WILL URGE THEM ON A Fresno Man's Invention of a Remarkable Wagon That …

1978 – “Mechanimals” Illustrations – Murray Tinkelmann (American)

U&lc. Illustrated by Murray Tinkelman, December 1979 I love machinery. I love drawings, photographs and diagrams of machinery, particularly diagrams. They look important, they demand respect, and they inspire confidence. How dare anyone doubt that those dotted lines, those beautiful arrows, and the mystically placed little uppercase letters indicate something of great but obscure significance? …