Comments on: Pop Sci's kooky vintage robot photo gallery http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Xenu http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771078 Xenu Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771078 "Electrical Brain" Wow, how simple! Why didn't anyone think of this before? “Electrical Brain”

Wow, how simple! Why didn’t anyone think of this before?

]]> By: Pantograph http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771088 Pantograph Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771088 They did. Back in 1949. They did. Back in 1949.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771099 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771099 Westinghouse's Elektro was somewhat alive and well a few years ago when I visited the Mansfield Memorial Museum in Mansfield, Ohio. You were able to buy antique stick pins of him from the 1939 World's Fair (mine is hanging on my living room wall) and have your photo snapped with the robotic tin man. However, this posting sheds some doubt that he is still there as it says the owner (a former Westinghouse exec's brother)wants to put him on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/index.php?showtopic=8887 Westinghouse’s Elektro was somewhat alive and well a few years ago when I visited the Mansfield Memorial Museum in Mansfield, Ohio. You were able to buy antique stick pins of him from the 1939 World’s Fair (mine is hanging on my living room wall) and have your photo snapped with the robotic tin man. However, this posting sheds some doubt that he is still there as it says the owner (a former Westinghouse exec’s brother)wants to put him on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/index.php?showtopic=8887

]]> By: IWood http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771110 IWood Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771110 I like the one that cuts off heads and stores them in its leg-cupboards. I like the one that cuts off heads and stores them in its leg-cupboards.

]]> By: footage http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771138 footage Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771138 I believe Elektro actually was "birthed" for the 1939-40 NY World's Fair, where he performed at the Westinghouse pavilion. He appears in the great industrial film THE MIDDLETON FAMILY AT THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR (free download here: http://www.archive.org/details/middleton_family_worlds_fair_1939, and his history is detailed in ROBOTS OF WESTINGHOUSE, a book by Scott Schaut, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Robots-Westinghouse-Today-Scott-Schaut/dp/0978584414. I believe Elektro actually was “birthed” for the 1939-40 NY World’s Fair, where he performed at the Westinghouse pavilion. He appears in the great industrial film THE MIDDLETON FAMILY AT THE NEW YORK WORLD’S FAIR (free download here: http://www.archive.org/details/middleton_family_worlds_fair_1939, and his history is detailed in ROBOTS OF WESTINGHOUSE, a book by Scott Schaut, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Robots-Westinghouse-Today-Scott-Schaut/dp/0978584414.

]]> By: efergus3 http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771145 efergus3 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771145 "can count to 10 and smoke cigarettes." I think that I worked with him once. “can count to 10 and smoke cigarettes.” I think that I worked with him once.

]]> By: Rich Keller http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771216 Rich Keller Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771216 Did they program the Swiss Yodel-bot to milk the electronic cow? ...and the real cowhide on it? It must have been for Uncanny Valley Farms. Did they program the Swiss Yodel-bot to milk the electronic cow?

…and the real cowhide on it? It must have been for Uncanny Valley Farms.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-775570 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-775570 Have fun looking at this from Australia, the link redirects to the popsci.com.au server, which, oops, doesn't have the story posted. Nice work PopSci. Have fun looking at this from Australia, the link redirects to the popsci.com.au server, which, oops, doesn’t have the story posted.

Nice work PopSci.

]]> By: jima http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771537 jima Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771537 And Elektro was also in the movies! He played "Thinko" in the 1960 Mamie van Doren film SEX KITTENS GO TO COLLEGE, where Mamie was a stripper with a genius IQ called in to head a university's science department. Thinko was featured in a dream sequence in which he imagined a bevy of strippers performing for him and a chimp. Full story here: http://thiskevin.blogspot.com/2010/01/elektro-moto-man.html And Elektro was also in the movies! He played “Thinko” in the 1960 Mamie van Doren film SEX KITTENS GO TO COLLEGE, where Mamie was a stripper with a genius IQ called in to head a university’s science department. Thinko was featured in a dream sequence in which he imagined a bevy of strippers performing for him and a chimp. Full story here:

http://thiskevin.blogspot.com/2010/01/elektro-moto-man.html

]]> By: edgore http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771035 edgore Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771035 Sadly, he passed away in the late seventies from bellow cancer. Sadly, he passed away in the late seventies from bellow cancer.

]]> By: wylkyn http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771041 wylkyn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771041 A mentally-deficient robot who steals your smokes? Where can I buy one?! A mentally-deficient robot who steals your smokes? Where can I buy one?!

]]> By: Chris Tucker http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771064 Chris Tucker Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771064 Mom's Friendly Robot Company, in about 1000 years. Not for sale in Arizona, though. Mom’s Friendly Robot Company, in about 1000 years.

Not for sale in Arizona, though.

]]> By: NicholasMiller http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/pop-scis-vintage-rob.html#comment-771071 NicholasMiller Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-771071 Is that Bender's great-great-great-great-great grandfather? Is that Bender’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather?

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