• Beautifully crafted mechanized Viking longship gone Steampunk

    Updated: 2012-02-28 15:20:37
    : 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 28, 2012 Beautifully crafted mechanized Viking longship gone Steampunk Feast your eyes on the meticulous craftsmanship invested into this kinetic sculpture titled Steampunk Voyager The piece made of copper , brass , and polished steel appears to represent a mechanized Viking longboat . There are lots of juicy mechanical elements including hinges , rivets , flywheels , chain drives , pulleys , crankshafts , linkages , and a flyball governor . I don't think it is actually steam powered , but no matter it is just gorgeous Thanks Christoph Labels : boat brass copper metal

  • See Hugo? Like Automata? Visit the Morris Museum!

    Updated: 2012-02-27 12:59:13
    : 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 27, 2012 See Hugo Like Automata Visit the Morris Museum Watch Mechanical Dolls Like Ones in Hugo' Displayed at Morris Museum on PBS . See more from . WNJT With the film Hugo racking up a total of 5 wins at the 2012 Oscar Awards , the public seems more interest in automata than ever . Here's a great news clip from NJToday Online titled Mechanical Dolls Like Ones in Hugo' Displayed at Morris Museum . Indeed they are The museum is home to a huge collection of automata originally owned by Murtough D . Guinness . Guinness an heir to the brewery of the same name collected over 700

  • Levitron Revolution Platform will levitate small objects for display

    Updated: 2012-02-24 16:36:25
    : 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 24, 2012 Levitron Revolution Platform will levitate small objects for display Got a small item you would like to show off in the most futuristic of ways The Levitron Revolution makes levitating display objects possible It can hold an object up to 13 ounces in mid-air and illuminates it from below(always dramatic with 4 white accent LED spotlights . For the added sci-fi effect , the objects continuously revolve in space . Got any ideas We would love to hear them Here is where you can get the Levitron Revolution Platform Labels : electronics levitation magnets physics science

  • Mysterious Franklin Institute automaton identified itself in writing!

    Updated: 2012-02-23 14:39:00
    : 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 , February 23, 2012 Mysterious Franklin Institute automaton identified itself in writing The Huffington Post published an article online yesterday about the automaton in the Martin Scorsese film Hugo and its connection to a real automaton now housed at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia . The article covers the fascinating journey of this remarkable machine , created around 1800 my the Swiss watchmaker , Henri Maillardet The story of the real automaton parallels that of the one in author Brian Selznick's book , The Invention of Hugo Cabret to a remarkable degree right down to the

  • "A World Around" - kinetic sculpture by Jim Jenkins

    Updated: 2012-02-22 12:55:12
    : 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 22, 2012 A World Around kinetic sculpture by Jim Jenkins Check out this fascinating piece from artist Jim Jenkins titled A World Around The piece is a motorized rolling ball sculpture with illuminated text elements . Jenkins uses an Arduino microcontroller to orchestrate various actions i.e . the motors and lights through a two minute . cycle From the video : description A track is mounted on a motorized base . As the base moves it causes a small globe to make irregular orbits around a yellow house . Intermittently illuminating on the interior walls of the house are the

  • 7th Annual Robot American Football Competition (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-22 07:06:32
    I didn't manage to get down to Yokohama last weekend for the 7th Annual Robot American Football competition, but luckily my friend Patric was able to go and shared the video below.The Robot American Football initiative started seven years ago when FSI, a major Japanese software and systems developer, was looking for ways to re-energize [...]

  • Technology Invades and Enhances Toys (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-21 15:00:45
    Sharon Vinderline, the founder and CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved was on The Morning Show with her selection of unique and sometimes groundbreaking toys from the 2012 New York Toy Fair. While some of the toys won't be that interesting for some readers, in the final third of the program (video below) she rolls [...]

  • John Gaughan - The mechanical mastermind behind magic illusions and automata

    Updated: 2012-02-21 13:05:57
    : 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 21, 2012 John Gaughan The mechanical mastermind behind magic illusions and automata If you didn't catch it yesterday , Boing Boing posted an online interview with the legendary John Gaughan yesterday . Gaugh is the mechanical mastermind behind many famous magical effects and illusions . He is also an expert on various forms of automata and has a collection of important historical pieces and recreations . The interview spends a good deal of time discussing The Turk the infamous chess-playing automaton an authentic recreation of which see below sits among John Gaughan's

  • Romeo Robot Awakes (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-20 09:26:33
    Project Romeo, driven primarily by Aldebaran Robotics with support from a host of other companies and organizations, released the first public video featuring the full sized humanoid robot greeting the world in much the same fashion as an initial computer program would say "Hello World!".  Via: Romeo robot caught on video for the first time | [...]

  • Awesome “Alas poor Nao, I knew him well…” photo

    Updated: 2012-02-20 08:49:15
    Any fan or owner of the Nao humanoid robot from Aldebaran Robotics is going to absolutely want a wall poster or t-shirt with Dave Snowdon's "Alas poor Nao, I knew him well" image. I know I do.  

  • Kanza Putra Audiandi and BM 400 Robotic Team on Fokus Pagi Indosiar with Tina Talisa

    Updated: 2012-02-19 15:00:24
    Kanza Putra Audiandi siswa kelas 6 SD Bakti Mulia 400, peringkat 6 Indonesian Robotic Olympiad (IRO) 2011 dan peringkat 23 World Robotic Olympiad (WRO) 2011 Abu Dhabi saat diwawancara oleh Tina Talisa dalam acara Fokus Pagi Indosiar tanggal 17 Februari 2012 jam 6.00 WIB. Pada acara tersebut didemokan 3 jenis robot Lego Mindstorm 2.0 yaitu: [...]

  • WowWee Alive Lion Cub, Robotic Toy – Findmeagift.com

    Updated: 2012-02-19 15:00:17
    The WowWee Alive Lion Cub Interactive Toy has sensors on his head, back, ear and a tilt sensor The Lion Cub Interactive Toys have realistic patterned fur, leather paws and Lion cub sounds! Our WowWee Alive Lion Cub Interactive Toy has a ‘Try Me’ Mode, On/ Off switch and Sleep Mode to conserve battery life [...]

  • Intro to Robotics 2012: Massive Rube Goldberg Attempt

    Updated: 2012-02-19 15:00:08
    The Intro to Robotics class at The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University is an intense and wonderful one. Over the course of one semester students study many aspects of robotics including: Vision, Artificial Intelligence, Motion Planning, Sensors and Sensor Planning, Mobile Robot Platforms, Forward Kinematics, Inverse Kinematics, and Non-Holonomic constraints To kick off the [...]

  • Short film featuring exquisite antique automata

    Updated: 2012-02-19 14:28:54
    : 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 Sunday , February 19, 2012 Short film featuring exquisite antique automata Here is a film that was originally created as a school program back in the 1980s . The 8 minutes of film show the variety and complexity found in antique automata . Examples include magicians , acrobats , clowns , musicians , and the three masterpieces by Pierre Jaquet-Droz the Musician , the Writer , and the Draftsman . Enjoy Labels : anitques Jaquet-Droz magicians musician writing posted by Dug North on Sunday , February 19, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older Posts Automata Links Automata by Dug North Books about

  • APEC 2012 Micromouse Robot Fast Runs (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-19 00:09:58
    Derekchall (Youtube) from the UK was kind enough to share some videos from the recent APEC 2012 Micromouse Robot competition held in Florida.  Via: APEC 2012 Micromouse fast runs - YouTube

  • A "penny toy" acrobat dating to about 1900

    Updated: 2012-02-17 16:49:11
    : 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 17, 2012 A penny toy acrobat dating to about 1900 Check out this nifty penny toy acrobat dating to around 1900. The piece was brought in to The House of Automata for repair and is quite rare . I love how such a simple mechanism can produce such an enchanting . object Labels : acrobat Michael and Maria Start penny toys The House of Automata UK vintage posted by Dug North on Friday , February 17, 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

  • Hockey-playing Robot on CBC News (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-17 13:55:34
    Jennifer, the DARwin-OP humanoid robot that's being taught to play ice hockey at the University of Manitoba is getting great press coverage, including the video segment above that ran on CBC News. Adapting the robot to play a challenge like ice hockey is a significant challenge. Still, the way that the press portrays the robot [...]

  • "My Door" by Tom Haney is available via phone auction

    Updated: 2012-02-16 13:10:48
    : 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 16, 2012 My Door by Tom Haney is available via phone auction Here is a new piece by Tom Haney based on the Kahlil Gibran quote , When I wrote on my door : Leave your traditions outside , Before you come in , Not a soul dared to visit me or open my door . The motor-driven figure slowly opens the door , peers out , then retreats the way he . came The piece is part of the 100 Artists Show At Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem , OR . All the pieces in the show are up for auction and the proceeds will be donated to a local charity . The bidding is done by phone only . As of last

  • LEGO MIND-STORM NXT 2.0 the holder

    Updated: 2012-02-16 09:04:17
    it can hold stuff !!! Duration : 0:1:21 Incoming search terms:lego (1) Technorati Tags: Computer, LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0, robot

  • Ding-A-Lings Commercial – Weird Robot Toys

    Updated: 2012-02-16 09:04:14
    Strange robot toys released back in the seventies. What the hell? Duration : 0:3:47 Technorati Tags: classic toys, commercial, ding-a-ling robots, ding-a-lings, ding-a-lings commercial, king ding, Old Toys, robots, toy robots, toys

  • Robots Playing Hockey at Penn

    Updated: 2012-02-16 09:04:09
    For students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Design of Mechatronic Systems class, “the finals” are more than an exam; they are a tournament in which the winners hoist a trophy high above their heads in victory. Throughout the school year, members of the class, led by Jonathan Fiene, director of laboratory programs, [...]

  • Video showing The Modern Automata Museum in Italy

    Updated: 2012-02-15 12:54:05
    : 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 15, 2012 Video showing The Modern Automata Museum in Italy Here is a wonderful video featuring an assortment of automata that are part of the collection of The Modern Automata Museum located in Montopoli di Sabina , Rieti , Italy . The film includes a commentary in Italian by the director of the museum about automata and his vision for the . museum Learn more about The Modern Automata Museum on their . website Labels : collections Europe Italy Modern Automata Museum museums video posted by Dug North on Wednesday , February 15, 2012 0 : Comments Post a Comment Older Posts

  • SketRobo drawing automaton can see & draw you!

    Updated: 2012-02-14 14:02:30
    : 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 14, 2012 SketRobo drawing automaton can see draw you Magician Brad Henderson from Austin Texas recently spotted this soon-to-be released toy automaton . The SketRobo is a small robot capable of drawing with pen and paper . OK . so we've seen automata that have been doing this for hundreds of years . What makes the SketRobo different is that it can change what it draws based on what it can see at any given . moment One model draws images stored in memory . Another model has an on-board camera and facial recognition technology allowing it to draw portraits on the spot . Now

  • 'Be Mine' - a small kinetic sculpture made of tinplate

    Updated: 2012-02-13 12:44:08
    : 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 13, 2012 Be Mine' a small kinetic sculpture made of tinplate Tinplate Girl made a special Valentine's Day gift using the various metalworking techniques she demonstrates on her awesome instructional site . Tinplate Dad got into the act too . He made a small kinetic sculpture you'll see in the second half of the video . Both projects incorporate tinplate , brass wire , a bit of wood , soldering , and mechanical fastening . No glue was used Here is where you can read about and see more images of these two tinplate Valentine's Day projects Labels : metal metalworking techniques

  • UK MINOS Micromouse Robot Event Scheduled for April (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-13 08:49:46
    Micromouse has to be the longest running, and perhaps least well known, robot competition. Micromouse robot builders tend to be almost obsessive about their chosen sport, often flying half way around the globe to test their designs against the best the world has to offer. It's not about the glory - very few papers and [...]

  • Humanoid Robot in Training for Ice Hockey’s Stanley Cup (Video)

    Updated: 2012-02-11 11:09:59
    With humanoid robots already well on their way to challenge humans on the soccer field it was only a matter of time before they strapped on skates and took to the ice. Naturally enough, the first group to make a serious attempt at humanoid robot ice hockey was the Autonomous Agents Laboratory at the University of [...]

  • Do Robots Sweat Turing Tests?

    Updated: 2012-02-11 07:40:42
    Human IQ tests are hard enough, but not as hard as Turing tests for robots….

  • Paul Spooner talk: mechanical jokes for people with short attention spans

    Updated: 2012-02-10 16:09:36
    : : 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 10, 2012 Paul Spooner talk : mechanical jokes for people with short attention spans Renowned automata artist Paul Spooner will talk about his work at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society in Falmouth , Cornwall on February 16th at . 7.30pm From the event : description Paul’s career as an automata maker making mechanical jokes for people with short attention spans has included commissions for the Science Museum and Louis Vuitton , as well as a television programme , Mechanisms on Channel 4. His work combines humour and an obsessive attention to detail with delightful and

  • Carving Faces Workbook: Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics with the Legendary Harold Enlow

    Updated: 2012-02-09 13:02:10
    : : 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 Thursday , February 09, 2012 Carving Faces Workbook : Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics with the Legendary Harold Enlow Here's a recently published book that provides detailed instruction on carving faces in wood . Written by the renowned caricature carver , Harold Enlow , the book is directed at the caricature carver , but is a solid foundation for realistic carving as well . The author provides photos and step-by-step instruction on how to carve some of those tricky areas of the face such as the eyes , mouth , and ears . In addition to covering these specific parts , a

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

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