a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
The above image from Popular Science April, 1933. The Harford Courant Mar 6, 1933 p16 Italian Designs Mechanical Horse From Steel Tubing —- Device Looks Like Grasshopper Stepping Along Road Spezia, Italy—(AP.)—A mechanical horse, designed to substitute for the farm animal or even light tractor, has been invented by an engineer here, Signor D. G. …
Read More “1932-3 – Mechanical Horse – D. G. Alzetta (Italian)”
La Porte City Review 16 Nov 1882 p2 (see pdf here) Fiction originally from Harper's Magazine How Aluminium Won The Grand Prix by William B. Greene "'This is my creation," continued Joe, stroking the animal's mane. "It is I who have breathed life into his nostrils." "Is he mad?" I thought to myself. "What!" I …
Read More “1882 – “Aluminium” the Compressed-Air Horse – Greene (American)”
Patent number: 209468 Filing date: Jul 26, 1878 Issue date: Oct 29, 1878 see pdf here. Although a patent for a toy, the walking mechanism is what's important here. On the whole, I have found that toys, particularly those that actually made it into production, show proof of concept in most cases, and that future …
Read More “1878 – Toy Mechanical Horse – Andrew J. Davis (American)”
Patent number: 200266 Filing date: Aug 4, 1877 Issue date: Feb 12, 1878 see full patent here. The Independent 01 Mar 1927 p5 A man by the name of Doyle, … invented a power horse that was little short of a marvel of ingenuity and that imitated the movemenents of a real horse almost perfect|y. …
The picture below clearly shows the foot positioning for bicycle pedals. Photographs are shown also of Mr. Sam Barton, the British vaudeville artist, astride his mechanical horse. From San Antonio Light 4 December 1932 Everybody knows the advantages of the automobile over the horse, but why should Sam Barton fancy Unit there is "any …
Read More “1932 – Mechanical Horse ( Bicycle ) – Sam Barton (U.K.)”