1967 – RIVET (Remote Inspection VEhicle Telechiric) – Hugh A. Ballinger (British)

Text: Science Journal, October 1968 Special Issue: Machines Like Men Machines with arms  p59 H. A. Ballinger Representing a further class of machines for the radioactive environment is the result of my [Ballinger] own work at Harwell. Some four years ago a study of reports on' criticality' incidents in the United States highlighted the advantages …

1964 – “Freddie Ford” Promotional Robot – (American)

HXP-022351-2/23/66-CHICAGO:One of features at Auto Show here is the robot at the Ford display. Appropriately named "Freddie Ford," mechanical man answers questions fed to it by curious visitors Robot was formed from Ford car parts & stands 12-feet tall. Model Mary Ann Laurel poses with"Freddie." UPI TELEPHOTO The earliest version of Freddie Ford, a robot employed …

1983 – Bridgestone “Rubbertuator” – Takeo Takagi and Yuji Sakaguchi (Japanese)

CAPTION: ROBOTS ON PARADE Keisuke Inada of Bridgestone Corp.of Tokyo adjusts the Soft Arm robot, a multijoint robot that resembles a human arm in its movements, at Cobo Hall. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers expects 25,000 people to attend its AUTOFACT '90, an exposition demonstrating computer-integrated manufacturing. Photo is dated 11/13/90. Pneumatic actuator for manipulator …

1957 – “Artificial Muscle” – Joseph Laws McKibben (American)

Although "fluidic actuators" had been around for a long time prior to Joseph Laws McKibben's invention, none had been used previously for prosthetic applications, yet alone robotics. It was McKibben's use that coined the term "Artificial Muscle". Joe McKibben talks about his invention: More Help For Polio Victims To bring motion to his little daughter's polio-paralyzed hands, Dr. …

Early Science Fair Robots

1931: "Bugs the Mechanical Man" by Bobby Lambert, Charlotte, N.C. USA. 1948: 1949: Elmer the robot, Colorado. Jimmie the Demonstration Robot responds to single words via the telephone.  1950: 1951: 1952: 1953: 1954: 1955: "Reject the Robot" by Tommy Firestine. USA. 1956: "Herbert Watt" the robot. 1957: "Nemo the Magnificant" Robot by Johnny Ventura. USA …