a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
The Electric Vampire By F. H. Power Illustrated by Philip Baynes (This short story appeared in The London Magazine of October 1910 with the accompanying Editor's note: 'The following short story, though of course but a figment of the imagination, is yet founded on fact. Over seventy years ago (in 1836, to be precise), a …
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Telepathic Robot – The Scientific Miracle photographed by Humphrey Spender – September 1937. The Scientific Miracle Robot Copyright Bolton Council Image ref. 1993.83.24.35 Print ref. 1993.2.135 Description: The Mass Observers recorded overheard conversations about how this miraculous talking robot worked, and whether it was all a scam. Source: here. Worktowners at Blackpool: Mass-Observation and …
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Two girls inspecting the robot today. c1935. Mr. ENRICO GARCIA showing the "works" of the new ROBOT, which answers questions without codes. A ROBOT WITH BRAINS OF ITS OWN. 14 Years to perfect new invention. The "mental telepathy" ROBOT, on which Mr. ENRICO GARCIA has spent pounds700 and 14 years untiring effort to perfect, was …
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Prosopographus Selected extract from the full post by Patrick Feaster here. Between 1820 and 1835, a machine was exhibited around Great Britain that was advertised as taking people’s portraits by strictly automatic means. Someone had only to pay a shilling and sit perfectly still next to it for the space of a minute to obtain …
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1981 – "Deep Rover" Submersible. See 7:10 into the Video. Top: Dr. Sylvia Earle. Bottom: Graham Hawkes. Extract from Popular Science, Dec 1984. An acrylic-bubble undersea habitat called Deep Rover will take oceanographers and oil-rig technicians to depths of 3,200 feet, where they'll work at sea-level pressure—in near-living-room comfort. The vessel "flies" like an underwater …
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