Imagine it‘s the early 20th century and you‘ve just witnessed a strange contraption follow its inventor around a room, turning and moving on its own in response to flashes of light. This bizarre scene was reality for attendees of an engineering conference in 1914, when the world met what‘s considered the first electronic autonomous robot – the Electric Dog.
Created by pioneering American engineers John Hays Hammond Jr. and Benjamin Franklin Miessner, this machine foreshadowed core concepts that underpin modern robotics. Both inventors were renowned experts in radio-controlled technology. By combining their innovative talents, they produced a breakthrough wireless device with uncanny lifelike obedience.
Powered by a unique substance called selenium, the Electric Dog could "see" light via a photosensitive system. Commands came in flashes that triggered movement towards the source. Thanks to an ingenious design, this automaton could even navigate around obstacles to follow its master.
Beyond the complex circuitry, the real magic lay in materials science. Selenium‘s electrical properties – altered dramatically by light stimuli – enabled seemingly intelligent responses in a machine. Let‘s uncover the history and functionality behind Hammond & Miessner‘s phenomenal early robot.
Harnessing the Power of Selenium
An element found in metals, selenium has an almost freakish feature – shine a light on it and its electrical resistance plummets. Discovered in 1817, this photoconductivity stumped scientists for decades until Hammond and Miessner leveraged it as a method for powering mobility.
Positioning selenium cells behind two glass eyes, the Electric Dog could "see" where light originated from. Flashing a bulb at one eye would excite electrons in the selenium enough to pass electrical flow to the wheels on that side, steering the device towards the light. Appropriately, selenium earned the nickname "magic eye" for enabling vision-based control.
Constructing their unique selenium cells was no small feat for Hammond and Miessner. The temperamental element required careful heating and cooling to produce window-like sheets coated with wires and electrodes. This technically challenging process yielded delicate components vital for harnessing selenium‘s light-influenced conductivity.
Through ingenious orientation of batteries and wiring, the currents passing to the wheels allowed nimble movements. The Electric Dog could turn smoothly, avoid obstacles, and navigate the room – rotating until light shone equally on both eyes. From an engineering perspective, this phototropic mechanism was an incredible achievement.
Bringing the Electric Dog to Life
Long before the Electric Dog, Hammond and Miessner were advancing what they termed “radiodynamics” – the wireless control of vehicles for military use. Their collaborations included prototypes for radio-steered torpedoes which embodied the same desire to create robotic devices that could orient towards targets.
Inspiration for the Electric Dog concept likely came from this work as well as the pioneers‘ fascination with fiction literature around robotics and artificial intelligence. Authors like L. Frank Baum (famous for The Wizard of Oz) fueled public imagination in this era with fantastical automated machines. Against this backdrop, the inventors aimed to develop an intelligent machine of their own.
When finally complete, the Electric Dog still needed a proper public debut. In 1914, Hammond and Miessner unveiled their automaton at a meeting of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Onlookers watched astonished as flashes of light invoked movement – the creature seemingly obeying its masters’ silent commands using just its glowing glass eyes.
Needless to say, the demonstration left a lasting impact on all present. Descriptions emerged not just of technologies but something akin to consciousness inside this machine – electrical impulses firing to turn wheels and chase lights like a trained pet. The name "Electric Dog", bestowed by Miessner himself, perfectly captured the display.
Sparking an Enduring Fascination
Far more than clever wiring, the Electric Dog channels a timeless human desire for artificial life. Even during the early 20th century public‘s limited understanding of electronics, Hammond and Miessner tapped our instinctual respond to life-like machines. This resonance surely bolstered enthusiasm from the scientific community and beyond.
National media raved about the latest electrical marvel while the inventors‘ peer circles buzzed with inspiration for extensions of their work. Miessner himself outlined ideas for a daylight heat-seeking torpedo, remote-operated vehicles, and even remotely piloted aircraft.
During World War I, radio-controlled target boats were created for anti-aircraft gun target practice. Later, Hammond worked with inventor Nikola Tesla on radio-controlled boats and vehicles. These two industries – military weapons and transportation – remained key drivers advancing remote guidance technology.
As early as 1916, Hammond filed patents outlining remote control systems for piloting ships and airplanes – concepts directly enabled by his achievements with the photosensitive orientation techniques on the Electric Dog.
The Electric Dog‘s Enduring Legacy
| Year | Development | Innovator |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Radio-controlled model battleships | John Hays Hammond Jr. |
| 1934 | Radio-controlled Queen airplanes | Reginald Denny |
| 1936 | Radio-controlled boats | Walter Righter |
| 1942 | Radio-controlled tanks and aircraft | US Military |
| 1948 | Wireless remot control systems | Otto William |
| 1966 | Radio-controlled hovering robot | Marvin Minsky |
| 2004 | Phototropic BEAM robot kits | Mark Tilden |
And in popular media, the Electric Dog joined Elektro the Westinghouse robot and other fictional machines by capturing public imagination around automation and intelligence in machines. Early science fiction authors like Miles J. Breuer in his 1919 book The Gostak and the Doshes refer directly to the impressiveness of Hammond and Miessner’s work.
Through both direct engineering influence and Building cultural intrigue, the trailblazing Electric Dog sparked a new era of robotics. Without Hammond and Miessner‘s ingenious demonstration, the course of wireless control, automation and artificial intelligence may have taken far longer.
