✎ art_robots [the libarynth]

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======An Art Robots Timeline======

See also [[Category Robotics]] and [[Project Lirec]]

======Era of magic, weights and pulleys======

The earliest instances of robotics all seem to have been created for artistic reasons, and were usually in the form of automatons, generally for theatrical and musical use.

=====Third century B.C.=====

**Mechanical Orchestra & Toys**: Ancient China, Han Dynasty.

<blockquote>The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its hand, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time...As the performance was drawing to an end, the robot winked its eye and made advances to the ladies in attendance, whereupon the king became incensed and would have had Yen Shih [Yan Shi] executed on the spot had not the latter, in mortal fear, instantly taken the robot to pieces to let him see what it really was. And, indeed, it turned out to be only a construction of leather, wood, glue and lacquer, variously coloured white, black, red and blue. Examining it closely, the king found all the internal organs complete—liver, gall, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines; and over these again, muscles, bones and limbs with their joints, skin, teeth and hair, all of them artificial...The king tried the effect of taking away the heart, and found that the mouth could no longer speak; he took away the liver and the eyes could no longer see; he took away the kidneys and the legs lost their power of locomotion. The king was delighted.</blockquote> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Mu_of_Zhou

More cases of ancient Chinese automatons listed here: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200407/20619.html

=====1st Century B.C.=====

**Philo of Byzantium**: Wrote Mechanike syntaxis (Compendium of Mechanics), which contained a chapter on Automatiopoeica - mechanical toys and diversions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo_of_Byzantium

=====1st Century A.D.=====

**Hero of Alexandria** (known as Michanikos, the Machine Man) wrote "On Automatic Theaters, On Pneumatics, and on Mechanics, probably a continuation of Philo of Byzantium's work, and constructed an automaton theatre which was powered by weights and slowly emptying containers of sand. His theatre was capable of portraying different scenes of the play, each with it's own seemingly self powered characters.

Scene 1 from Nauplius, on Hero's Automaton Theater

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Alexandria
  * http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/HeronAlexandria2.htm

**Petronius** the Roman writer, refers to a silver doll which could move like a human being.

=====13th Century=====

**[[Al Jazari]]** wrote "The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices" in 1206.

**Villard de Honnecourt** Surviving drawings of his work include an angel automaton which was designed to revolve once per day, in order that it's finger would always be pointing in the direction of the sun.
  * http://www.villardman.net/diction.html
  * http://orgs.uww.edu/avista/engines.htm

**Johannes Müller von Königsberg** or "Regiomontanus" as he prefered to be known (and has a crater on the moon named after him) is recorded as having built two automata:
  * A Wooden eagle which "flew forth" out of Nuremberg and met Emperor Maximilian, saluted him and flew home.
  * An iron fly:
<blockquote>Once, as this artist, more with mirth than meat;
Feasted some friends whom he esteemed great,
Forth from his hand an Iron Fly flew out;
Which having flown a perfect round about,
With weary wings returned to his master,
And as judicious on his arm he plac'd her.
Oh! wit divine, that in the narrow womb
Of a small Fly could find sufficient room
For all those springs, wheels, counterpoise, and chains,
Which stood instead of life, and blood, and veins.
</blockquote>

From "A Library Of Wonders And Curiosities Found In Nature And Art, Science And Literature" by I. Platt: http://chestofbooks.com/reference/A-Library-Of-Wonders-And-Curiosities/A-Wooden-Eagle-and-an-Iron-Fly.html

======Era of the coiled spring and clockwork======

=====15th Century=====

**Prague Orloj Astronomical clock**: Built by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel in 1410:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock

**Leonardo da Vinci** designed many automata, including a Lion and a Knight. His programmable cart was the basis for these machines, and has been built in modern times from his plans by [[http://www.anthrobot.com/press/article_leo_programmable.html|Mark Rosheim]].

Leonardo's programmable cart.

=====16th Century=====

**Pierre Jaquet-Droz** Built intricate automata which survive today, The Writer (made of 6000 pieces), The Musician (2500 pieces) and The Draughtsman (2000 pieces). These can now be seen at the [[http://www.mahn.ch/|Museum of Art and History]], Neuchatel, Switzerland.

The "innards" of The Writer

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Jaquet-Droz
  
=====18th Century=====

**Jacques de Vaucanson** (1709) Built robots to serve dinner to politicians. His most famous work is the "Digesting Duck":

======Era of electricity======

=====1960=====

=====1970=====

**Senster**: 1970-1974 http://www.senster.com/

=====1980=====

=====1990=====

=====2000=====

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