a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
English text translated from the original German: (for pictures and diagrams, see pdf below) The Cybernetic Model "Tortoise" Cybernetics – In recent years, a new science was born. It enables machines to replace with highly skilled human labor, eg by electronic calculators. These machines are very complicated in structure, and only specialists with high qualifications …
Read More “1959 – Sverdlovsk Cybernetic Tortoise – (Soviet)”
Although built as an art piece, Nicolas Schöffer's CYSP-1 (a name composed of the first letters of CYbernetics and SPatiodynamic) is significant both in terms of the introduction of a new art form, as well as being a serious attempt as an autonomous "being". Schöffer was the first artist to be inspired by the new science …
Read More “1956 – CYSP-1 – Nicolas Schöffer – (Hungarian/French)”
In late 1951, Paul-Alain Amouriq, a Frenchman then aged 17, built a cybernetic tortoise inspired by Grey Walter's as published in a French science magazine Science et Vie (February 1951). Several years later Science et Vie became aware of Amouriq's tortue, and Pierre de Latil visited him and the subsequent article was published in the March …
Read More “1951 – La Tortue Cybernetique (Cybernetic Tortoise) – Paul-Alain Amouriq (French)”
The Ducrocq family of cybernetic animals were named “Miso” These were designated M-1 through to M-5. Some articles refer to “le renard” (French for fox) as “Job” (M-5). M-1 in most cases was referred to as Miso. It probably became M-1 when M-2 was built. So far, I have seen pictures of 6 different Miso’s. …
Read More “1951-54 – Miso, Barbara, Cesare, Felapton, Job – Albert Ducrocq (French)”
ELMER – (ELectro-MEchanical Robot) How the media reported the coming of ELMER : Lethbridge Herald – Wednesday , February 25, 1948 Robot Tortoise Likes Women – Recognizes Voices, Comes To Meet When Called-Can be Sulky LONDON. Feb. 25 Daily Express reported today that Dr. W. Grey Walter. 38-year-old brain scientist has built a robot tortoise so "human …
Read More “M. speculatrix – a new species of animal – ELMER”