Tony Sale, known for the 1994 Colossus computer replica, created a humanoid robot more than 60 years ago.
Built from scrap aluminium from a crashed flight bomber, the robot, named George, could walk, turn the head, move its arms and sit down. It was powered by a pair of motorcycle batteries. The robot can also move his jaw to speak and be controlled by radio remote.
George was put on display at the open days at the RAF Debden base and also appeared on television: I guess for people at that time it was like seeing the robot from the Wizard of Oz in real life.
Early versions of George (and how hipster Tony Sale looked in 1949!):
The impossibility of further improvements (computers were big those days) led eventually the creator to put it in a garage and gather dust for 45 years.
Then, at 79 yo, the same Tony Sale decided to move it out, restore it with some oil and new lithium-ion batteries and turn it on again… successfully!
Today you can meet George the humanoid robot at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, Bucks.
Read more:
Tony Sale site.
George, the robot, at Cybernetic Zoo (A history of cybernetic animals and early robots)
sweet
This is a good subject for a graphic novel.
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