Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: chris@envex.demon.co.uk ("Chris P. Burton")
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uknet!demon!dis.demon.co.uk!envex.demon.co.uk!chris
Subject: Re: Father of Robotics?
References: <CKv5qu.F2B@trivia.coginst.uwf.edu>
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Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 16:15:15 +0000
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A candidate more in line with the interests of this newsgroup would be 
Dr. W. Grey Walter, formerly of the Burden Neurological Institute, Bristol.
In the 1940s he made a small free-roving 'turtle', Machina Speculatrix, 
which moved towards light, (unless it was too strong, when it shied away),
avoided obstacles using a bump sensor, and went home to 'feed' when the
batteries needed charging. It was described in the popular UK magazine
'Picture Post' for 25 March 1950. Having seen that article I made one
for a school open day demo in 1950, possibly my first technical obsession!  
He made several, one experiment placed a lamp on the back of each so they
attracted each other but backed-off when they touched. I think his
experiments would not be out of place in present-day robot contests. The 
machine and others is described together with psychological context in 
Grey Walter's book "The Living Brain" published in 1953 by Gerald 
Duckworth, London. A very good read, amongst other things it shows how 
to get many functions out of a vacuum tube, a relay and two bits of string!
-- 
Chris P. Burton, not far from Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
