a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Several feet away, the operator controls the arm from this chair. It can measure out liquid by the drop. "Adelbert"—Science's "Right Arm"—Can Even Write Its Name ALTHOUGH it looks more like a dentist's oversized drill, a gentle-acting mechanical arm called "Adelbert" is actually built like the human arm. It has an elbow, shoulder, wrist and …
Read More “1950 – Remote-control Manipulator – Art Youmans (American)”
The Iron Hand (Sourced from here and authored by Kerry Kirsch) The Iron Hand was a robot that was developed by someone at Erie Engineering Company, 840 West Baltimore, Detroit, Michigan in the shadows of the old General Motors Building. Erie Engineering was owned by my grandfather, Frank Karl Kirsch, and specialized in Tool & …
Read More “1950c – “The Iron Hand” Industrial Robot – Erie Engineering Company (American)”
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)”