Robots, Science Museum, London, UK 10 May 2016
Humanoid robot, ‘Cygan’, built Dr Piero Fiorito, Italy,
1957. Cygan’s builder was a keen aero-modeller, and he
designed the robot, weighing almost 500kg and driven by
13 electric motors, to be operated by radio control. Cygan’s early career was glamorous. He danced,
performed at shows, and crushed cans for delighted
onlookers. But as his career waned, he found himself
rusting out of doors, before being saved and returned to
his original, working condition - The Science Museum’s new Robots exhibition, opening in February 2017, will explore this very human obsession to recreate ourselves, revealing the remarkable 500-year story of humanoid robots. Featuring a unique collection of over 100 robots, from a 16th-century mechanical monk to robots from science fiction and modern-day research labs, this exhibition will enable visitors to discover the cultural, historical and technological context of humanoid robots. Visitors will be able to interact with some of the 12 working robots on display. Among many other highlights will be an articulated iron manikin from the 1500s, Cygan, a 2.4m tall 1950s robot with a glamorous past, and one of the first walking bipedal robots
