No, I didn't know that there was a Robot Hall of Fame, but if there is then Maillardet's Automaton certainly should be there. It's 100% real and 100% constructed of gears and springs inside the doll's body. It predates robots based on digital computers by roughly 175 years.
There was another automaton built 40 years early, in the 18th century. It was constructed to look like a Turk (turban, flowing robes) which played a mean game of chess. But eventually it was revealed that the "automaton" contained a human -- ingeniously hidden by what appeared to be gears and clockwork-like machinery when the doors were opened.
Anyone interested in more information about the Turk can go here or here.
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7 comments:
Creepy.
No, I didn't know that there was a Robot Hall of Fame, but if there is then Maillardet's Automaton certainly should be there. It's 100% real and 100% constructed of gears and springs inside the doll's body. It predates robots based on digital computers by roughly 175 years.
There was another automaton built 40 years early, in the 18th century. It was constructed to look like a Turk (turban, flowing robes) which played a mean game of chess. But eventually it was revealed that the "automaton" contained a human -- ingeniously hidden by what appeared to be gears and clockwork-like machinery when the doors were opened.
Anyone interested in more information about the Turk can go here or here.
Do Obamabots qualify for induction?
Rain down.
Come on, rain down on me
From a great height, from a great height.
God loves his children.
God loves his children,
y . e . a . h.
Being from Philly, I saw this at the Franklin Institute at a very early age. Could that I explain why I find museums dull & boring?
Mega Man kinda looks like Gumby, damn it!
How can Optimus Prime not be there? They even let the little child robot from AI in, back in 2006. At least Tetsuwan Atom was inducted in 2004.
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