Tag: Faux Automata

"Psycho" at the Museum of Science, London. (Image source: Mechanical Toys – Charles Bartholomew) My intent in putting up this entry is to draw attention on the aspect of remote control by which the slave component is anthropomorphic. This fits in with the early history of teleoperators and manipulators. All other aspects of "Psycho" are well …

Read More “1875 “Psycho” the Whist-playing Automaton – Maskelyne & Clarke (British)”

John Gaughan's version of "The Turk" Like my post on Maskelyne's "Psycho" and "Zoe" automatons, the interest here is its place in history in terms of remote master-slave manipulators, and I shall confine myself to just that. There is significant other matter on "The Turk" published elsewhere already. Well established as a fake contrivance [pseudo automaton, faux (false) automaton], …

Read More “1770 – “The Turk” Chess Automaton – Wolfgang von Kempelen (Hungarian)”