• Dozens of free mechanical paper toy plans from the 1920s

    Updated: 2012-02-08 12:59:01
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Wednesday , February 08, 2012 Dozens of free mechanical paper toy plans from the 1920s The Barnacle Press has posted a set of mechanical paper toy plans created by Dan Rudolph for the LA Times back in 1922 and 1923. The plans show you how to make moving toys by cutting out and articulating the parts of various cartoon characters . Shown here is an example of the plans , this one titled The Village Blacksmith There are over 25 plans in all including sports figures , tradesmen , kids , and assorted animals . This is a great resource and looks like they would be a lot of fun to . make Here is

  • BarBot 2012 -Where Robots Get Drunk Enough to Dance the “Human”

    Updated: 2012-02-08 07:13:51
    'In a world where robots and humans struggle together in the fight against boredom... Only one event ends up with the robots dancing "The Human" while the meat puppets (you) end up singing the praises of RoboBartenders.' BarBot 2012, the 5th annual festival of Cocktail Robotics, is coming up the evenings of March 2nd & [...]

  • Tiny Tabs Indigestion Tablets mechanical window display

    Updated: 2012-02-07 12:58:32
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Tuesday , February 07, 2012 Tiny Tabs Indigestion Tablets mechanical window display Protected for years in its original shipping crate , this early 20th century window display advertises Tiny Tabs Indigestion Tablets The mechanical sign features a clockwork motor that allows the center body portion to spin and the ball on top to swing . When the swinging ball approaches the upright post on the left , the string gets caught . The ball is carried around the post , wrapping the string with it . The string then unwinds , freeing the ball , allowing it to swing again . I've seen a clock that uses

  • Dawson Sihavong lego mindstorm robo alligator

    Updated: 2012-02-07 00:21:24
    narahi50http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/narahi50EducationDawson, Sihavong, lego, mindstorm, alligatorDawson Sihavong lego mindstorm robo alligator Duration : 0:1:44 Technorati Tags: Alligator, Dawson, lego, mindstorm, Sihavong

  • Loving a Sex Robot: Insanity or reality?

    Updated: 2012-02-07 00:21:22
    A perfect partner who’s always happy and never complains, is apparently now a reality. But there’s a catch – he or she is likely be made of plastic. From simple dolls to sophisticated robots, they seem to be winning the hearts and minds of people who’ve given up on finding true love. Gayane Chichakyan has [...]

  • Blue Room Car Robot toy

    Updated: 2012-02-07 00:21:21
    Car goes up and down weeeee Duration : 0:0:35 Incoming search terms:CAR robot (1) Technorati Tags: Automobile, blue, playing, robot, Room, toy, Transformers

  • Robots Aboard International Space Station

    Updated: 2012-02-07 00:21:09
    Ames Research Center, MIT and Johnson Space Center have two new robotics projects aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Robonaut 2, a two-armed humanoid robot with astronaut-like dexterity, is currently undergoing onboard testing. The second is the SPHERES satellite, which recently got a smartphone upgrade that gives it eyes, ears and a sensor array. These [...]

  • Another contraption-filled music video by the band OK Go!

    Updated: 2012-02-06 12:15:01
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Monday , February 06, 2012 Another contraption-filled music video by the band OK Go Remember that insane music video by the band OK Go in which a massive chain reaction accompanies the song Well , they've done it again , only this time the band plays a much more active part . In fact , strapped inside of a Chevy sonic , they ARE the reaction in this chain of events as they drive the tricked-out car through a musically rigged maze . These guys are wildly creative and quickly becoming a favorite of . mine From the video : description OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert

  • How to make a robot in 13 minutes – Part 2 of 2

    Updated: 2012-02-06 06:51:16
    Full instructions, links to materials, and free software can be found on http://letsmakerobots.com/start Here is prt 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-MgYD-bQSM This is showing how easy it is to make a little robot. It is done in only 13 minutes. - And for Google: - How to make a robot - How to build a robot Duration : [...]

  • Giant Shopping Robot Invades Texas (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-06 01:57:04
    It looks more like a vending machine on steroids, but the "robotic convenience store" concept from Shop24 Global seems to fill a real customer void, especially for urgent or spur of the moment items you need in a hurry. The latest Shop24 installation is coming up soon at the Ladera Palms Apartment Homes complex in [...]

  • Anitique clockwork-driven polar bear automaton

    Updated: 2012-02-05 14:24:55
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Sunday , February 05, 2012 Anitique clockwork-driven polar bear automaton Check out this clockwork polar bear automaton , probably European made and dating to the turn of the century . This automaton is currently available on . ebay From the eBay : description When wound , this Polar Bear walks along on all four paws , opening and closing his mouth to flash his teeth , then suddenly stop and rear up on his hind legs again opening and closing his mouth to scare us with his teeth , then he’ll drop down on all fours and walk forward starting the cycle over again Here is a link to this Anitque

  • “Knighted by the Queen, I am…”

    Updated: 2012-02-05 02:13:08
    Sir Yoda, a photo by igo2cairo on Flickr.

  • Automata article: 19th-Century Mechanical Wonders

    Updated: 2012-02-04 15:02:54
    : : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Saturday , February 04, 2012 Automata article : 19th-Century Mechanical Wonders Here is a new article in Antiques Auction News about the automata exhibition currently on display at the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport SFO From the automata : article The history of automata plural parallels humanity’s undiminished and continuous quest to create an object that has the appearance of moving like a human or an animal . The word is derived from the Greek automatos , meaning self-moving . The article describes the exhibit its relation to the Guinness Collection of

  • Geminoid-F Fashion Robot Display Close-up (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-04 03:17:23
    After posting about the Geminoid-F female robot installation in Tokyo, I just had to check it out in person. Friday afternoon, during a break between meetings, I spent about an hour watching shoppers try to interact with the attractive android, and managed to get a peek behind the scenes. The display is on the second [...]

  • Video of kinetic sculptures by artist eda taşlı

    Updated: 2012-02-03 12:06:38
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Friday , February 03, 2012 Video of kinetic sculptures by artist eda taşlı Check out this great video featuring a selection of kinetic sculptures from eda . taşlı Labels : automata eda taşlı kinetic sculpture posted by Dug North on Friday , February 03, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older Posts Automata Links Automata by Dug North Books about Automata Mechanical Toys and Gadgets Automaton Kits Automata for Sale on eBay Contact Dug North Previous Posts Black white film from 1950 featuring musical au . How to use old gift cards to spread glue How to build simple machines with paper clips

  • New Gundam Front Tokyo Theme Park Opening Just Two Months Away

    Updated: 2012-02-03 00:22:25
    Leveraging off of the popularity, and profitability, of the Gundam Cafe located in Akihbara, Bandai is scheduled to open the "Gundam Front Tokyo" theme park in the Odaiba shopping and entertainment district of Tokyo. The facility, sure to quickly become a must-see mecca for Gundam fans, will feature the theme park, a Gundam Cafe, and [...]

  • Black & white film from 1950 featuring musical automata

    Updated: 2012-02-02 12:58:46
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Thursday , February 02, 2012 Black white film from 1950 featuring musical automata Check out this preview clip provided by The British Pathé Film Archive featuring a number of automata filmed in 1950. Among the automata shown are a gorgeous watch-sized music box , a whistling figure , banjo player , musical birds , a monkey playing the harp , a tight rope walker , and a smoking cavalier figure puffing away on a real cigarette Thanks Michael Labels : antiques film monkey music box musician smoker UK whistler posted by Dug North on Thursday , February 02, 2012 1 : Comments Unknown said . That

  • Femaie Android Looking For A Valentines Date In Tokyo (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-02 05:24:35
    It looks like Tomio Sugiura isn't the only robot designer working to apply robotics to fashion marketing. Professor Ishiguro, famous for aggressively testing the boundaries of the Uncanny Valley effect, has installed his Geminoid-F life sized female android in a display window at the Takashimaya department store in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.  Ishiguro is [...]

  • AESSBot’11 – Premiere Robot Gathering in Spain (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-02 00:55:37
    When it comes to robots, most of people's attention automatically focuses on the work being done in the US and Japan, but there is tremendous excitement, energy, and activity taking place around the world in countries that don't usually make it into the limelight. A great example is Spain where major robot events like AESSBot [...]

  • How to use old gift cards to spread glue

    Updated: 2012-02-01 12:58:50
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Wednesday , February 01, 2012 How to use old gift cards to spread glue The folks at the Timberkits Workshop have taken time to share two uses for old plastic credit or gift cards . It turns out they can be quite useful when gluing Timberkits wood automata kits or anything else for that matter The first tip demonstrated shows how to use two credit card shims to allow a captive cam to move freely . The second tip shows that slivers of old credit card make great glue spreaders especially for the endgrain of . wood Timberkits wooden automata kits can be ordered : online In the United States visit

  • Japanese Science Magazine Features Doka Harumi Humanoid Robot (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-01 11:37:12
    Gakken, a leading Japanese publisher of science related magazines and low cost kits just released Volume 33 in the popular Otona No Kagaku series. I was surprised, and very pleased to find Kazuki Sumi's humanoid robot creation, Doka Harumi with a feature article in the magazine. Like most of the Gakken publications, Volume 33 centers [...]

  • Applying Robotics To Fashion Marketing

    Updated: 2012-02-01 07:16:41
    Sugiura Machine Design Office's innovative work applying robotics to fashion marketing via their Hina and Hina-Co animated and interactive display mannequins will be featured tomorrow (February 2, 2012) on the TV-Tokyo economic news program "MPlus 9". The segment, scheduled for broadcast at 8:56 am, will include interviews with Tomio Sugiura, a leading Japanese designer of [...]

  • Minority Report Style Ad Startles People In Tokyo Train Station (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-01 06:45:57
    At first glance it appears as if all of Philip K. Dick's worst fears about advertising have suddenly materialized in the middle of Shinagawa station, one of the busiest train stations in Japan. The main character featured in a Suntory advertisement for black oolong tea, with purported health benefits, seems to follow each and every [...]

  • How to build simple machines with paper clips

    Updated: 2012-01-31 12:56:56
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Tuesday , January 31, 2012 How to build simple machines with paper clips Wanting to come up with a simple and inexpensive project teachers could use to teach their students some aspect of technology , Instructables user biochemtronics came up with this hand-cranked paper clip . machine From the creator's : comments For educators this project is a great way to teach students the physics of mechanical machines including cranks , levers , fulcrum points , rotary and linear motion all while stirring their curiosity and developing their mechanical . aptitude What he has really done is conceive of

  • Automata in the news: CBS Sunday Morning feature

    Updated: 2012-01-29 17:11:29
    : : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Sunday , January 29, 2012 Automata in the news : CBS Sunday Morning feature It seems everyone is talking about automata even CBS Sunday Morning . Here is a nice piece featuring automata from this week's . program You get a great out-of-the-display-case look at the Maillardet automaton at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia . The automaton , dating to around 1800, can draw four pictures and write three poems . The automaton is the mechanical marvel that inspired Brian Selznick , author of the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret which Martin Scorsese brought to the big screen as the

  • CBS Sunday Morning program to feature automata

    Updated: 2012-01-28 13:51:43
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Saturday , January 28, 2012 CBS Sunday Morning program to feature automata Behind the Scenes at The Franklin Institute CBS Special Feature The Automaton a photo by Darryl W . Moran Photography on . Flickr Fans of automata will want to make time to see this Sunday's Jan . 29th , 2012 airing of CBS Sunday Morning news program with Charles Osgood . The show will have a special feature segment about the automaton depicted in the recent film Hugo' by Director Martin Scorsese , the Maillardet automaton at the Franklin Institute as well as the magnificent Guinness Collection of automata at the

  • OscylinderScope sculpture allows you to see sound waves

    Updated: 2012-01-27 13:51:23
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Friday , January 27, 2012 OscylinderScope sculpture allows you to see sound waves The OscylinderScope is an interactive sculpture by Norman Tuck that explores the nature of sound in a visual way . The OscylinderScope uses a moving black and white striped background to show the behavior of vibrating . strings How the OscylinderScope : works Spin the black and white cylinder and pluck the guitar strings . When you look at the strings , the wavy lines that you see show you how the strings behave when they vibrate to produce sound . Both the tension and the length of a string effect the frequency

  • Engino mechanical science toy series: Linkages

    Updated: 2012-01-26 12:56:01
    : : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Thursday , January 26, 2012 Engino mechanical science toy series : Linkages Here is another toy in Engino's series of toys that teach mechanical principles . These are the folks that created the set on cams and cranks The Engino toy system is a construction toy made up of of multi-faceted rods and connectors that can be connected on up to 6 sides at the same time . The design allows dense or open construction methods , simple or complex models , and the need for a smaller number of different components than other three dimensional building systems . Linkages seem like an idea . application

  • Africani - automaton by Lorenzo Cambin

    Updated: 2012-01-25 14:11:55
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Wednesday , January 25, 2012 Africani automaton by Lorenzo Cambin Take a look at this rich and colorful automaton by Lorenzo Cambin entitled africani The three figures have such wonderfully elaborate dress . What a great video of the piece too The back of the piece where you get a glimpse of the mechanism and its cams is fascinating , but . brief See more automata by Lorenzo Cambin on his YouTube . channel Labels : Africa color dancer exotic figures Lorenzo Cambin sound posted by Dug North on Wednesday , January 25, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older Posts Automata Links Automata by Dug

  • Mechanical Principles - film of mechanical movements in action

    Updated: 2012-01-24 14:50:07
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Tuesday , January 24, 2012 Mechanical Principles film of mechanical movements in action Check out this 10 minute segment of a longer piece by Ralph Steiner featuring classic mechanical movements . I haven't cross-referenced them yet , but most can be found in the book 507 Mechanical Movements as well as the larger , but similar 1800 Mechanical Movements , Devices and Appliances Some interesting movements shown in the film : include Counter mechanism Gears engage on diagonals Square gears Variable speed transfer Rotary to linear action with a 4 tooth cog Thanks Gary Labels : 507 Mechanical

  • The sculpture of Arthur Ganson at the MIT Museum

    Updated: 2012-01-23 12:54:22
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Monday , January 23, 2012 The sculpture of Arthur Ganson at the MIT Museum If you happen to be in Cambridge , Massachusetts , you will want to stop by the MIT Museum which features an exhibit of Arthur Ganson’s kinetic . sculptures If you are unfamiliar with Ganson's work , he uses the elements of machines , found , and fabricated objects to create though-provoking interactive kinetic sculptures . The sculpture shown here , Cory's Yellow Chair depicts random yellow pieces floating in space . The pieces suddenly assemble into a small yellow chair for an instant before exploding apart once

  • The worlds largest and most detailed model railway

    Updated: 2012-01-21 18:10:28
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Saturday , January 21, 2012 The worlds largest and most detailed model railway Check out this incredibly detailed and ambitious model roalroad . To call it a model railroad though is kind of insufficient because it depicts so much more that trains . Simply . incredible Thanks Will Bill , and Thomas Labels : large-scale miniatures models multi-scene trains vehicles posted by Dug North on Saturday , January 21, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older Posts Automata Links Automata by Dug North Books about Automata Mechanical Toys and Gadgets Automaton Kits Automata for Sale on eBay Contact Dug

  • Singing bird automaton in progress by Bliss Kolb

    Updated: 2012-01-19 11:05:00
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Thursday , January 19, 2012 Singing bird automaton in progress by Bliss Kolb Here's the latest bird-themed automaton from artist Bliss Kolb Pictures for now , but video is on the way , so stay . tuned From the : artist The bird has six movements and sings a simple bird song . Still to do : the branch will be covered with paper mache and filled out with leaves . The bird , branch , base , and handle will be . painted See more sculpture by Bliss Kolb on his web . site Labels : birds Bliss Kolb singing bird posted by Dug North on Thursday , January 19, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older

  • Large-scale automata inspired by the fauna of Costa Rica

    Updated: 2012-01-17 12:40:51
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Tuesday , January 17, 2012 Large-scale automata inspired by the fauna of Costa Rica The large-scale wood automata shown the this video were created by a company called Toc de Fusta for International Festival of the Arts in Costa Rica , under the name of Cruso's Friends The six automata were inspired by the fauna of Costa Rica . Fantastic stuff You can see videos of the building process of the large wood automata on Toc de Fusta's Youtube channel . Labels : animals children Costa Rica festival interactive larges-scale public Toc de Fusta wood posted by Dug North on Tuesday , January 17, 2012 0

  • Brass astronomical skeleton clock with 8000 parts

    Updated: 2012-01-16 12:30:45
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Monday , January 16, 2012 Brass astronomical skeleton clock with 8000 parts This clock is astounding on many levels : complexity , beauty , and craftsmanship . What is perhaps even more astonishing is that it is only 25 complete About 2000 of the expected 8000 parts have been assembled . The finished product will be truly . incredible From the Youtube : description What you see is about 25 of the completed clock movement in terms of parts count , about 2000 of a total of 8000 parts . This project has been in construction for about 1.5 years and has another 2 to go . Much of the most difficult

  • Film about the making of a huge wooden automaton village

    Updated: 2012-01-15 12:30:10
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Sunday , January 15, 2012 Film about the making of a huge wooden automaton village Here is a short documentary on the making of the amazing wooden village automaton created by Jozef Pekara from Rajecke Teplice , Slovakia . This giant woodcarving was created by Jozef Pekara over the span of 18 years . This huge , village scene uses 150 animal and 170 human figures to depict the history and traditions of . Slovakia Thanks Les Labels : carved history Jozef Pekara motorized occupations scene Slovakia traditional posted by Dug North on Sunday , January 15, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older

  • Hand-carved wood automaton depicts an entire village

    Updated: 2012-01-13 11:20:00
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Friday , January 13, 2012 Hand-carved wood automaton depicts an entire village I don't know much about this incredible automaton other than the title of the video , Slovenský betlém The entire thing is wood , carved by masters of the craft . Everything in the village is animated : sawyers , farmers , farriers , cobblers , coopers , threshers , spinners , miners , weavers , carpenters , potters , vintners , washers , diners , musicians , worshipers , assorted animals , and children playing . I'm certain I missed many things too Amazing . Beautiful . Just . . wow Thanks Karin Labels : carving

  • Book on humor in craft to feature automata art

    Updated: 2012-01-12 13:01:14
    : The Automata Automaton Blog The Blog for Makers and Collectors of Mechanical Automata and Mechanical Toys The Automata Automaton Blog The Automata Automaton Store Automata on eBay Dug North Automata Thursday , January 12, 2012 Book on humor in craft to feature automata art If you've spent any time reading The Automata Automaton Blog you know that an element of humor is common to many automata , especially the contemporary ones . This fact wasn't lost on the creators of the book Humor in Craft They have included the work of at least one automata artist , namely Jim Kransberger One of his pieces is shown on the cover the red-headed potter Three others will be found within the book which can be ordered now , though it is due out in March of 2012. From the book : description What happens

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