February 24 - Happy Birthday, Jacques de Vaucanson

    Posted on February 24, 2022

This is an update of my post published on February 24, 2011:

When do you suppose the first robots were built? In the 2000s? The 1980s?

Maybe the first robots were built in the 1940s, in the early days of computers?

Nope. According to some sources, the first true robots were built by Jacques de Vaucanson, a French inventor and artist, way back in 1737.

The 1700s was a time when there was a “craze” about self-operating machines called automata, which have existed in one form or another since ancient times. Most of these automata were just toys. De Vaucanson upped the ante by building biomechanical robots that were revolutionary for their “life-like sophistication.” 

You may be wondering just what kind of robots this 18th-Century inventor would create.

I bet you'd never guess...

He built The Flute Player, The Tambourine Player, and The Digesting Duck!

De Vaucanson's robot flute-player was a life-size figure of a shepherd whose robot fingers were gloved in real skin. The robot could play 12 different songs on the tabor and the pipe.

The Digesting Duck had over 400 moving parts and could flap its wings, drink water, eat grain, and “defecate.” It seemed that the duck was actually digesting the food that it ate and then “pooping” it out again – but it was a trick! The robot duck actually had a hidden compartment of “digested food” to defecate. De Vaucanson probably created the fraud so that he could impress the wealthy and the powerful so the money would keep coming to him and his lab.

The illustration seen below was by an American who saw the digesting duck demonstration. This is what he thought the insides might look like in order to digest food. But, of course, the duck didn't actually digest food--so this drawing is all wrong!

De Vaucanson invented some things that were more immediately practical. While creating his robot duck, he invented the world's first flexible rubber tube. He also created the first completely automated loom to weave cloth.

More robots!

Check out robot news at News for Kids. 

Buy a robot kit! Sure, you could go to Amazon.com, but take a peek at the Edmund Scientific website, too.

 

Also on this date:

Anniversary of The Descent of Man  

Anniversary of a Clogged-Up River Being Cleared

Independence Day in Estonia

Mexico's Flag Day

Anniversary of WWII's Battle of Los Angeles

Birthday of artist Winslow Homer

Birthday of author Judith Ortiz Cofer

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 

(Thursday of Engineering Week)

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• February holidays
• February birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in February
  
  

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• March holidays
• March birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in March
  
  
  

January 2 - Happy Birthday, Isaac Asimov

 Posted on January 2, 2021

Isaac Asimov is a Russian-born American scientist and writer. And he is one of my heroes!

Asimov was born on this day in 1920, and he became one of the most prolific and respected science-fiction and science-fact writers of all time!

Asimov, who moved to New York City with his family at age three, is particularly known for his robot novels and his Three Laws of Robotics. The movie I, Robot was loosely (VERY loosely) based on some of his stories. Asimov's most famous books, arguably, are the Foundation series.

Since Asimov wrote for kids (some of these under the pen name Paul French) as well as adults, short stories as well as novels, fiction as well as non-fiction, mysteries and fantasy as well as sci-fi, and about Shakespeare and the Bible as well as about chemistry and astronomy—obviously, there's something for everyone among his more than 500 books. According to Wikipedia, Asimov's books have been published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System!

Here are a few quotes from Asimov:

• "If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them."

 

• "Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."

 

• "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny...'"

 

Celebrate Asimov by reading him!

Most libraries will have several books to choose from by the man. Remember, he wrote and edited more than 500!

These are most of my favorite Asimov books. I arranged the 14 books that make up Asimov's “future history” – a blend of robot novels, empire books, and Foundation novels – not in the order in which Asimov wrote them, but in the chronological order that they supposedly represent. Since he had not originally intended the various books to fit together in one series, until he hatched the plan later in life to write some “blending books” that bridge the various series, there were some contradictions—but it was still fun to read them “in order.”

Asimov's robots are general-purpose humanoid-formed machines. In other words, like so many other science fiction books and movies, the robots look like metal or plastic people. Some of Asimov's robots look EXACTLY like people, with realistic, warm artificial skin and perfect artificial hair.

The two faces are both humanoid robots -
the one on the left is really-REALLY humanlike!

Here is a video and interview of a humanoid robot that is an artist!

Check out this gallery of humanoid-robot photos and art.

Obviously, most robots are NOT general-purpose, and they are NOT humanoid in the slightest. Here is a short article about industrial robots.



Interested in robotics?

Here is a video about building a simple robot. On this NASA website is a tutorial called Robotics 101.

Also on this date:

Kakizome in Japan  

National Science Fiction Day

Anniversary of the discovery of the planet Vulcan

Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov's birthday (original post)

Berchtold's Day in Switzerland

Anniversary of Georgia's statehood

Kaapse Klopse

New Year's 2nd Day

Happy Mew Year for Cats

Bodhi Day

(Dates vary)

Earth at Perihelion

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest pages on:

• January holidays
• January birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in January

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• February holidays
• February birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in February

February 24, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jacques de Vaucanson

When do you suppose the first robots were built? In the 1990s? The 80s?

Maybe the first robots were built in the 1940s, in the early days of computers?

Nope. According to some sources, the first true robots were built by de Vaucanson, a French inventor and artist, way back in 1737.

The 1700s was a time when there was a “craze” about self-operating machines called automata, which have existed in one form or another since ancient times. Most of these automata were just toys. De Vaucanson upped the ante by building biomechanical robots that were revolutionary for their “life-like sophistication.” 

You may be wondering just what kind of robots this 18th-Century inventor would create.

I bet you'd never guess...

He built The Flute Player, The Tambourine Player, and The Digesting Duck! 

De Vaucanson's robot flute-player was a life-size figure of a shepherd whose robot fingers were gloved in real skin. The robot could play 12 different songs on the tabor and the pipe.

The Digesting Duck had over 400 moving parts and could flap its wings, drink water, eat grain, and “defecate.” It seemed that the duck was actually digesting the food that it ate and then “pooping” it out again – but it was a trick! The robot duck actually had a hidden compartment of “digested food” to defecate. De Vaucanson probably created the fraud so that he could impress the wealthy and the powerful so the money would keep coming to him and his lab.

The illustration seen here was by an American who saw the digesting duck demonstration. This is what he thought the insides might look like in order to digest food. But, of course, the duck didn't actually digest food--so this drawing is all wrong!

De Vaucanson invented some things that were more immediately practical. While creating his robot duck, he invented the world's first flexible rubber tube. He also created the first completely automated loom to weave cloth.

More robots!

Check out robot news at Robot Cafe. 

Buy a robot kit! Sure, you could go to Amazon.com, but take a peek at the Edmund Scientific website, too. 

For more, check out this earlier post. 

January 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Isaac Asimov

This Russian-born American scientist and writer is one of my heroes!


Asimov was born on this day in 1920, and he became one of the most prolific and respected science-fiction and science-fact writers of all time!


Asimov, who moved to New York City with his family at age three, is particularly known for his robot novels and his Three Laws of Robotics. The movie I, Robot was loosely (VERY loosely) based on some of his stories. Asimov's most famous books, arguably, are the Foundation series.

Since Asimov wrote for kids (some of these under the pen name Paul French) as well as adults, short stories as well as novels, fiction as well as non-fiction, mysteries and fantasy as well as sci-fi, and about Shakespeare and the Bible as well as about chemistry and astronomy—obviously, there's something for everyone among his more than 500 books. According to Wikipedia, Asimov's books have been published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System!

Here are a few quotes from Asimov:

• "If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them."
• "Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."
  
• "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny...'"

Celebrate Asimov by reading him!

Most libraries will have several books to choose from by the man. Remember, he wrote and edited more than 500!

These are a few of my favorite things. I arranged the 14 books that make up Asimov's “future history” – a blend of robot novels, empire books, and Foundation novels – not in the order in which Asimov wrote them, but in the chronological order that they supposedly represent. Since he had not originally intended the various books to fit together in one series, until he hatched the plan later in life to write some “blending books” that bridge the various series, there were some contradictions—but it was still fun to read them “in order.”


Asimov's robots are general-purpose humanoid-formed machines. In other words, like so many other science fiction books and movies, the robots look like metal or plastic people. Some of Asimov's robots look EXACTLY like people, with realistic, warm artificial skin and perfect artificial hair.

Enjoy some humanoid robot art at this site. Be sure to click the “View photographs” link under the orange “Selections of...” banner about halfway down the page.

Obviously, most real robots are NOT general-purpose, and they are NOT humanoid in the slightest. Here are some photos of real robots:

There is an exhibit of robot animals traveling about the world. To see if it is coming to a museum near you, click here.

Interested in robotics?

Here is a list of materials needed, suggested books, and resources on the internet. On this NASA website is a tutorial called Robotics 101.