a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
The monkey with the robot engineer. There appears to be a photo-electric cell mounted on the front. Maybe this is the 'robot' safeguard required for safe operation. Jiro Aizawa was the inventor of the robotized "Monkey Train" at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. Its been siad that he also patented the train, but I have not been able …
Read More “1948 – Ueno Zoo Robotized “Monkey Train” – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”
During 1933, engineer's were determining how the Golden Gate Bridge[1] was to be built. Source: Modern Mechanix and Inventions, Dec 1933. One engineer's suggestion for the solution of the problem of sinking caissons[2] is depicted here in this picture of a "walking bridge." Definite placement of caissons has always been an engineering bugaboo when they are …
Read More “1933 – Giant Walking Bridge – M. Clemients (French)”
I first saw this mentioned in David M. Earle's interesting book titled "Re-Covering Modernism: Pulps, Paperbacks, and the Prejudice of Form", but John Ptak's recent post reminded me of it. I have used his image of the prototype walking machine. The model of King Grey, the Electric Titan. Although called "Electric", the motive power is …
Read More “1916 – “King Grey” the Electric Titan – Fern Pieper (American)”
Aizawa's Remote Controlled Train (Popular Mechanics, Nov, 1936) article was popularised in blog.modernmechanix.com . Sadly, Jiro Aizawa was not named as the inventor in the article. Robot Engine Built in Japan Is Driven by Remote Control Automatic train control is understood to be a feature of a mysterious robot locomotive model built in Japan. Streamlined, but of a …
Read More “1936 – Robot Remote Controlled Train – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)”
Source: (I've lost and been unable to relocate the source to this image. Please contact me if you do know the source.) This early Robot may have been in the Boston area in 1935. It looks capable of standing and sitting, raising and lowering either arm, and appears to have microphones in its ears. Like most …