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THE ROBOTICS REVOLUTION WILL YOU SURVIVE?

By Steven K. Roberts

Robots—capable of two to three times the efficiency of flesh-and-blood workers—threaten to displace large numbers of people from jobs. Humans may prevail, but, strangely, the result might be mass unemployment, anyway.

IF YOU EVER want to get a spirited conversation going, just wander into an employee lunchroom somewhere in Detroit and start singing the praises of industrial robots. After you pick yourself up off the floor, you’ll probably become embroiled in a bitter dispute over worker displacement, Japanese auto imports, productivity and union contract terms.

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Robots ARE People!

By Richard Dempewolff

Modern scientists can make automatons that walk, talk, see—even think like a man. But only an 18th-century artisan created ‘human9 puppets.

A fantastic family lives in Neuchatel, a watch-making town hidden deep in the Swiss Alps. It’s a small family—only two boys and a girl; but it has a long history. For each one of the three was born nearly 200 years ago!

Despite two centuries of living, they show no signs of age and still look fresh and elegant in their fancy 18th-century costumes. One brother is an artist, the other a writer and the young lady a musician. These wonder children may keep all their endearing young charms and continue to use their creative talents for a thousand years. Neither youth nor health ever fails this remarkable family, the uncanniest members of that queer race man dreamed up—the robot people.

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Robot Suits for Animated Youngsters

ANY costume party, parade or trip in a space ship will be a real pleasure for the young live wire in your family when he is clad in this bizarre suit (Fig. 1). The dimensions in the drawing will make a suit that fits the average seven to ten year old, but vary the size to fit the child who will wear it.

Completed suit has a one-piece head and body, two arms and two legs. Prepare the body box first (Fig. 2), cutting out the bottom completely. ‘ In the top cut a hole slightly smaller than the head box (by about 1/4 in. each way). Cut arm holes in each side.

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Electric Hand is made of a lightweight metal, driven by a tiny motor installed in the wrist. The electric engine operates off a six-volt battery. A button attached to the user’s upper arm allows the motor to be switched on or off merely by pressure against the body. Device was developed by Friesecke & Hoepfner of Erlangenbruck. Germany.

Robot Plays Card Games Press Button - It Deals a Hand

TO PLAY a game of cards with this robot merely press a button. Miniature cards are speedily shuffled and a full hand of five cards flash into view. Each hand is awarded points according to the value of the cards. A pair counts five, three of a kind counts fifteen, a straight represents fifty, and so on up the scale.

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Here’s a Servant Out of This World
A seven-foot eight-inch robot does its master’s bidding in M-G-M’s new movie, “Forbidden Planet.” Made of plastic and synthetic leather, the robot is animated by electricity. Ears are rotating antennas, and its grillework month hides a loudspeaker.

Amateur Chemist’s Robot
Hyman Cordon, chemical student, of Boston, with a “man” he built out of rubber, glass, and other scraps. It eats food and digests it in human fashion, having heart, intestines, lungs, bladder, etc. It was exhibited at a recent “science fair.” (Int. News)

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ROBOT Planes to FIGHT ENEMY AIR RAIDERS

by DOUGLAS ROLFE

Automatic airplanes, steered and flown by special photo cell equipment invented by the Englishman, Mr. Sidney G. Brown, may revolutionize war air raids.

WINGING their way with deadly precision towards the apparently unsuspecting city which is their objective the enemy bombers are alive with bustling activity as the bombing crews take station and prepare for the impending attack.

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Here’s what a ROBOT “thinks” with!

WHEN you see a Robot obey its inventor’s commands to rise, walk, talk, sing, and smoke, you wonder what kind of imitation brain it has.

The New Merriam-Webster tells you that the Robot’s “gray matter” is made of Selenium, and its chemical relatives, which also make possible all the other modern marvels achieved with the photocell, or “electric eye.” And the same kind of information which ”The Supreme Authority” gives on Selenium is also furnished on the other 91 elements known to the world of chemistry!

For scientific information, turn first to the New Merriam-Webster!

Send for FREE BOOKLET, “The New Merriam-Webster: What It Will Do For You.” G. & C. MERRIAM CO., Dept. 300, Springfield, Mass.

Radio Controlled Robots Stage a Realistic Boxing Match

TWO pugilistic robots, built by the Veronda brothers of California, recently staged a furious six round boxing match in which they slugged each other’s metal bodies with all the realism of a human fight. The actions of the mechanical fighters were controlled by short wave radio. At the height of the fray, however, the wires got crossed somewhere. With smoke rising from their innards the fighters lost their heads and began lashing out wildly, dealing terrific clouts with both fists. Finally one robot went down and the other collapsed on top of him.

Century Old Lady Robot Writes Letters, Draws Pictures

ROBOTS are not strictly a modern invention. At the left is seen “Miss Automaton,” a robot doll over a hundred years old. When a motor is geared to its mechanism, which is located under the table, the doll writes letters and draws pictures with a pen which it holds in its right hand. In the photo she is seen drawing a ship for the amazement and amusement of spectators.

“Miss Automaton” now reposes in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and is the gift of John W. Brock, of Philadelphia, whose father, John Penn Brock, bought the doll in 1870 in France.

Dancing Robot performs a merry jig by remote control. Patrick Rizzo who built it in his spare time, claims the $100,000 creature is the first of its type.