It is difficult to find a person who does not know what robots are and most people consider them a modern invention. In some ways this is really true, but it is worth noting that people have tried to build mechanisms capable of performing various complex actions since ancient times. Devices created by scientists and engineers of past eras still impress today with the creativity of inventors.
1. Movable statues
In ancient times, mechanics was developed so much that engineers created so-called automatons - mechanisms that move with the help of a system of ropes and pulleys. The first mentions of movable statues date back to 1100 BC. The mechanism was created in Ancient Egypt and was used by the priests as a "conductor of the will of the gods" when choosing a new pharaoh. The moving statue chose the ruler among the applicants, stretching out its hand and indicating who would sit on the throne.
Already in ancient Egypt, they knew how to make moving statues.
In ancient Greece, a similar movable automaton was built by Ktesebius of Alexandria. His statue was controlled by a cam mechanism and knew how to change position: sit down and get up.
2. "Hand of Retribution"
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Strictly speaking, this device cannot be classified as an automaton, since people and bulls were required to activate it. But it can be called the forerunner of the "robotic" hand. It is believed that in 2013 BC. during the siege of Syracuse, Archimedes created a mechanism to help the defenders of the city sink the ships of the invaders, without leaving the fortress wall. It was known as the Claw and consisted of a system of ropes, beams and pulleys.
For that time, "Claw" or "Hand of Retribution" by Archimedes was a terrible weapon.
The mechanism threw a rope with a hook tied at the end, with which it clung to the bottom of the enemy ship. The bulls began to pull the rope, and the sea vessel turned over. History has not preserved reliable data that such a machine was built, but in our time a group of engineers built Archimedes' Claw and proved that the device was operational.
3. "Cocktail machine"
The ancient Greek engineer Philo of Byzantine, who lived in the 3rd century, was a genius mechanic. He expounded his knowledge in a treatise of 9 volumes entitled Mecha¬ni¬ke syn¬tak¬sis, some of which have come down to our times.
Reconstruction of the robotic servant of Philo of Byzantium.
In the volume Pneumatics, he describes a mechanism created in the form of a female servant with a jug in one hand. This device can be called a cocktail machine: when the cup was placed in the other hand, the statue was activated and filled the cup with wine and water from the containers hidden inside.
4. The knight and the lion
The genius Leonardo da Vinci was an unusually versatile person. Many of the master's records were lost, but those that have been found impress scientists today.
A mechanical lion, recreated by Italian engineers in 2019 for the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.
In 1957, drawings of a mechanical knight were found in his papers. Based on da Vinci's drawings, robotics engineer Mark Rocheim reconstructed the automaton in 2002. The knight can make some human movements: turn his head, insert, sit down, move his arms. All this is due to a system of rollers and cables and a control device in the chest. The mechanical lion works on the same principle, which Leonardo da Vinci made in 1515 by order of Pope Leo X. The automaton was intended as a gift to the French king Francis I and could move along a given route. When he froze in place, a door opened on his chest, behind which in the compartment were lilies - the heraldic symbol of the French monarchs.
5. Monk reciting a prayer
In the 1500s, one of the finest watchmakers was Gianello Torriano. He devotedly served Emperor Charles V and created mechanical dolls for his amusement: little soldiers fighting on the table and birds that flew around the hall.
Mechanical figurine of a monk.
One of his works, commissioned by King Philip II of Spain, is still in working order and is currently kept at the Smithsonian Institution (USA). The figurine is made in the form of a monk with a rosary in his hands and performs all the movements that are performed during prayer. The automaton moves in a square trajectory and moves its lips as if whispering the words of a prayer. He can roll his eyes, turn his head, bring the rosary to his lips with his left hand, and hit himself in the chest with his right.
6. Japanese dolls Karakuri ningyo
In the Land of the Rising Sun, robots are not just super popular, Japan is a recognized world leader in the field of robotics. It began as a fascination with mechanical dolls, the first of which were made during the Edo period (1603-1868).
A doll in the shape of a boy serving tea.
Toys were of three types: theatrical (butai karakuri), miniature (dzashiki karakuri) and religious (dashi karakuri). Little karakuri zashiki were toys for the entertainment of wealthy gentlemen. For example, a doll could serve tea: she approached a guest with a cup of drink on a tray and froze in anticipation. When the cup was removed, the doll bowed and moved to the side. The automaton moved on the floor using wheels hidden under the kimono.
7. "Lady Musician", "Writer" and "Drawer"
The pinnacle of the art of making automatons is considered to be the amazing creations of the Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz. In 1773 he made an automatic doll capable of writing several words - up to 40 characters.
Pierre Jaquet-Droz's automatons at the Museum of Art and History in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
It is made in the shape of a boy sitting at a table and holding a quill in his hand. The machine does not just write words, it completely imitates the whole process. The doll turns its head to the inkwell, dips the quill in it and shakes off the excess ink from it. When writing words, the doll's eyes follow the text that appears. Interestingly, the automaton can be programmed by changing the text, and this is, recall, the 1770s! After the "Writer" the watchmaker created the "Drawer" (the automaton drew a dog and signed the drawing) and "Lady Musician" (the doll played the harpsichord). The automatons are still in operation and are now in the museum in the Swiss city of Neuchâtel.
Cognitive fact: The Lady-Musician doll performs real music, not pre-recorded music for playing. A miniature harpsichord was made for her, and she really touches the keys with her fingers. There are notes on the music stand, and the machine can play five melodies written by the watchmaker's son.