a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Jiro Aizawa, born 1903, is very significant in terms of Japan's history of robots, toy robots in particular. (also Dr. Aizawa, Uncle Robot, Dr. Robot, Zirou Aizawa, Dr. Aizawa Zirou, and 二郎相澤 in Japanese.) In 1910*1, when in 5th grade, Aizawa saw his first mechanical man in a London exhibition [RH Note that the word robot was not …
Read More “1957- Japanese Humanoid Robots and Toy Robots – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”
"Road Runner", the walking, running legged scooter, was shown at the 1996 annual Idea Olympics sponsored by the Toyota Engineers Society (TES) and held in Tokyo City, Japan. It won the Silver prize, also called the humor award. Gear wheels and a crank drive 4 feet. I want one!
Although inspired by Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" that had infantrymen wearing "power suits" that surround their bodies and amplify their movements, most of the Gundam mobile suits were of the "driveable robot" tradition, where operators sat in cockpits and manipulated levers and pedals. The Gundam concept was developed in 1978, with the TV series first …
Read More “1978-9 – Mobile Suit Gundam (Fiction) – Yoshiyuki Tomino (Japanese)”
This image shows a walking mechanical elephant from Japan. It is 12V electric-powered, 1/4 HP motor. The image is sourced from here. According to the website the images are from a catalog of "Nihon goraku-ki seisakusho (Japan amusement machine manufacturing)" around 1935. More info: The elephant's name is "Jidou-hokou zou (automatic-walking elephant)". 12v battery powered and …
A book cover with elephant. the article says the book was published in 1948. The cover reads the book title "Happy modeling & handicraft" and the author "Tokyo metropolitan kogei (craft) high school instructor Jiro Aizawa". The elephant was made by himself (the pet name is "Tamakichi-kun"). Thank you Hisashi Moriyama for providing a translation …
Read More “1948 – “Tamakichi-kun” the Mechanical Elephant – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”