a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Modern Mechanix, Sept 1931. Cast-off Shoes Make Tires for "Rough Rider" Bicycle IF YOU don't know what to do with your old shoes, here's a suggestion—make bike wheels out of them. No less a unique stunt has been performed by Marie Glory, a well-known Parisian bicycling enthusiast, as the photo at left shows. The regular …
Read More “1931 – Shoe-Wheeled “Walking” Bicycle – Marie Glory (French)”
Six Legged Bicycle This piece is built to ride like a bicycle, but pedaling walks the six legs, instead of turning wheels, for forward motion. Somewhere between riding a bicycle and a horse. See video here Fabrication: Pete Beeman Engineering: Pete Beeman Date: 2000 Dimensions: 5' deep, 4' wide, 4' high Materials: aluminum, steel, wood, mechanics. [Source: All pictures and text from Pete …
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Iron Stallion (Pedal Horse) Carter's linkages remind me somewhat of Alzetta's 1933 horse. Longer legs, a more powerful motor, lower centre of gravity, steering and one could ride this machine bicycle-like. You start and stop with the person's feet touching the surface of the road. The ride would be a bit bumpy but swift – something …
Read More “2011 – “Iron Stallion” and other Mechanical Walking Machines – Carter Sharer (American)”
CSERNY Márton Márton is from Budapest, Hungary. His human-powered walking machine is novel in that the front legs do not pull the cart, but are pushed by the pedals, chain and sprocket. The pedaling action also rocks the 'hip', which raises and swings each free-swinging leg in turn. Video Akció a "Lépegeto gép"-pel / action …
Read More “1993 – Human-Powered Walking Machine – CSERNY Márton (Hungarian)”
The Quantum-Classical Transition on Trial: Is the Whole More Than the Sum of the Parts? by Hideo Mabuchi One quote that I really like came from my thesis adviser, Jeff Kimble (the Valentine Professor and professor of physics), and appeared on page 2 of the February 18, 1997, New York Times as the Quotation of …
Read More “2002 – Human-powered Mechanical Elephant – Caltech (American)”