a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
R.O.S.A. B.O.S.O.M. Radio Operated Simulated Actress – Battery Or Standby Operated Mains (sometimes seen written as ROSA. BOSOM, or Rosa Bosom, or Rosabosom.) Image courtesy Bruce Lacey. Image courtesy Bruce Lacey. Image courtesy Bruce Lacey. Her finest moment was to win The Andrew Logan's Alternative Miss World competition in 1985. When I first met Bruce …
Above and below: "Robert" as he is today. These images are from the Scienceworks Science Museum's webpage (Photographed by Benjamin Healley). Reproduced courtesy of Museum Victoria. This pdf gives some information as well. Robbie the Robot can currently be viewed as part of the Scienceworks collection store tour – just ask your tour guide to point him …
Read More “1956 – “Robert the Robot” – Bernard Smith (Australian)”
Galveston Daily News 13 Dec 1896 (pdf here) In the Deep of Time by George Parsons Lathrop in collaboration with Thomas A. Edison For The News-Copyrighted. This story is the result of conversations with Thomas A. Edison. the substance of which he afterwards put into the form of notes written for my use. His suggestions …
Read More “1896 – Lathrop & Edison Walking Machine – (American)”
Although built using a child's electric car as the chassis, the fully functional Buster was a true Cybernetic Animal, showing reflexes, phototropism, and hunger / recharging modes. He could operate totally autonomously if so desired, but had manual overrides via a remote panel or remote control via an acoustic adapter. No CPU chips here. Op-amps, …
Read More “1976 – “Buster” Robot Animal – David L. Heiserman (American)”
"MOVE OVER, HUMAN – Even a hard-bitten Parisian driver would be likely to obey that command from the odd driver of this odd vehicle. No visitor from another world. It's a homegrown robot named "Cosmos" which, like the helicopter in the background, was on display at a science exhibit on the banks of the Seine. …
Read More “1958 – “Cosmos the Robot” – Christian Dupont (French)”