1979 – Robot Pet – Frank DaCosta (American)

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WORKING ROBOT PET BY FRANK DaCOSTA TAB BOOKS Inc. BLUE RIDGE SUMMIT, PA. 17214 This step-by-step guide to creating a unique robot of your own, from a boxful of components to finished, working reality, takes you through all the steps needed to construct and train your own electronic, microprocessor-based pet that …

1978 – An Inexpensive Turtle – Michael Folk (American)

REPORT : An Inexpensive Turtle BUILDING AN INEXPENSIVE TURTLE by Michael Folk Mathematics Department Drake University Des Moines, IA 50311 Two years ago two colleagues and I set about developing a microcomputer controlled programmable robot for teaching1 . The goals of our project were (1) to build a lowcost (less than $75 in parts) device …

1903 – “The Wonderful Electric Elephant” – Frances T. Montgomery (American)

The Wonderful Electric Elephant Written in 1903 by Frances T. Montgomery, The Wonderful Electric Elephant is children's story in which Harold and Ione take a trip around the world in a life-sized mechanical elephant. The tale describes their magnificent adventure and journey. Interestingly for this site though, the book was illustrated by Cassius M. Coolidge, …

1951 – Mechanical Elephants by Frank Stuart in America

It is difficult to trace the origins of the Frank Stuart’s Mechanical Elephants in America. I’ll present some published information that gives clues to their linearity. The earliest date I have found so far is the delivery of Cunningham’s [Department Stores in Michigan] “Jumbo”  is June 1951. The Billboard 23 June 1951 The large Cunningham …