1936 – Robot Remote Controlled Train – Jiro Aizawa (Japanese)

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 …

1979 – “Tomaton” the Robot – Lenny Schectman (American)

Ft. Lauderdale – TOMATON and his creator Lenny Schectman. July 1979. Tomaton, short for Automaton, is 6-foot tall. Lenny Schectman became involved in robotics mainly because of his interest in technology allowing the brain to be tapped to signal function in limbs of paraplegics and quadraplegics. He wanted to enter the biomedical engineering field but lacked …

1935 – Unknown Mechanical Man – (American)

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 …

1957 – “Otto Matrix” the Robot – (American)

Grinter & Woolich with robot – University of Florida ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education)  1957 © 2004 – 2013 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. State Fair, Florida (same robot as above) © 2004 – 2013 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.. WOW! It's A Real Robot 8 Mar 1965 Otto Matrix, a …

1950 – N.S.U. Motorcycle Robot Driver – (German)

ROBOT DRIVER: In Frankfurt, Germany—A motorcycle with a robot driver was one of features of a spring fair. Exhibited by the N.S.U. Motor Company of Neckarsulm, Germany, the robot showed the crowds how to drive the manufacturer's motorcycle. By a system of switches and electromagnets, the robot starts the engine, changes the three gears, drives …