a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
MF3 Blocher-Motor GmbH & Co. KG, Metzingen, West Germany CMS Technologies, Inc., Ft. Lee, N.J., U.S. Distributor This device is a remotely controlled, tethered 4-tracked vehicle which is used in the nuclear industry and other hazardous environments. It was initially conceived and developed at the KFA Julich Research Laboratory in West Germany. Its single, light-duty, …
Read More “1976 – MF3 Manipulator Vehicle – Köhler (German)”
Looking like a military gravedigger or an agricultural battle tank, the KHG Remote-Controlled Manipulator Vehicle was an early West German response to the problems of maintenance and repair in nuclear installations. The Robot That'll Do Anything A new remote controlled robot has been developed in Germany able to do most any job or cope with …
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Space Tug – 1949 The above image from a 2010 calendar with Bürgle's illustrations. I don't know if the Space Station illustration was previously published and if so, where? The caption suggests it was unpublished at the time. The Space Tugs are being used to hold and manoeuvre large panels during construction. Klaus Bürgle – …
Read More “1949 – Space Tug (Illustration) – Klaus Bürgle (German)”
Fritz Kahn (1888–1968) was a German-Jewish gynaecologist and science author who developed a sophisticated graphic analogy between anatomy and machinery. His work was widely distributed in Germany until it was banned under the Nazi regime. He continued to publish, relocating to Palestine and Paris before escaping to the USA with the help of Albert Einstein. …
ROBOT DRIVER: In Frankfurt, Germany—A motorcycle with a robot driver was one of features of a spring fair. Exhibited by the N.S.U. Motor Company of Neckarsulm, Germany, the robot showed the crowds how to drive the manufacturer's motorcycle. By a system of switches and electromagnets, the robot starts the engine, changes the three gears, drives …
Read More “1950 – N.S.U. Motorcycle Robot Driver – (German)”