a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Above Photo by Chris Shute A Meccano machine to read your palm. Built in 5 months from mostly modern Meccano parts and 13 salvaged motors. All 24 electrical switches and the 32 – step Sequencer are made from Meccano. Mystic Mec will choose an almost 'random' letter to hint at your future. Working eyelids, index …
Read More “2011 – “Mystic Mec” Meccano Automaton – Chris Shute (British)”
The Robot Garguantua. gar·gan·tu·a -n. A person of great size or stature and of voracious physical or intellectual appetites. [After the giant hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais.] Like most, including myself, the true significance is lost in the title ("An Automatic Block-Setting Crane") and opening description of the original article published globally in …
Read More “1937 – The Robot Gargantua – “Bill” Griffith P. Taylor – (Australian/Canadian)”
Meccano model of GE's Walking Truck designed by Hugh Henry. All legs are completely rotatable in the same direction. For a complete set of images see the NZ Meccano web site here. Thanks Antonio Gual for encouraging Tony Brown (the author of the Modelplan) who found some pictures of Hugh Henry's original. (Has anyone built …
Source: Meccano Magazine, March 1965 …Since then, we have featured examples of his skill at fairly regular intervals in the M.M., one model which I personally remember very well being a Walking Horse and Chariot which was described in a 1965 issue. In fact, Mr. Konkoly himself said of this model recently, "Although I later …
Read More “1965 – Meccano Walking Horse and Chariot – Andreas Konkoly (Hungarian)”
Mechanical Men and Robot Models from various Meccano Instruction Manuals. 1931 Mechanical Man AMONG the many mechanical marvels that scientists tell us will be common sights in the year 2031 A.D., none can be of greater interest than the " robots " or mechanical men which, we are assured, wilt be used to perform almost …
Read More “Early Meccano Robot Models – Frank Hornby et al (British)”