Art
Five Centuries of Robotic Machines Reflect Human and Technological Change
Five centuries of robots, from clockwork monks to mechanical actors, are explored in a major exhibition at London's Science Museum.
automaton
News
A Lost 1920s Robot Is Reconstructed in London
The UK's first robot, Eric, disappeared after his debut, but the Science Museum has created a working replica.
Art
The Incredible Electric Eric: Rebuilding a Lost 1920s British Robot
By all accounts, the debut of the UK's first humanoid robot was a startling affair.
News
A 19th-Century Birdcage Automaton Comes to Life, and Auction
Shimmery, singing birds flit from perch to perch and a butterfly flaps its hand-painted, iridescent wings above an animated fountain on a three-tune musical automaton birdcage clock by Bautte & Moynier.
Books
The 9th-Century Islamic "Instrument Which Plays by Itself"
In the 9th century, the Banū Mūsā brothers in Baghdad designed a mechanical, hydraulic organ that was made to play endlessly by itself.
Art
After a Visit to the Vet, a Kaleidophonic Dog Clangs, Bangs, and Whistles Again
If you're roaming the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's modern art galleries, a cacophony of whistles, bells, thuds, and clashes may interrupt your serene stroll.