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The Astounding World of Automata

From mechanical dragons to storytelling clocks, 18 marvelous machines.

by jonathancarey
18 Places

The growing world of robots and self-driving cars can trace its roots back to early automata. The origins of self-operating machines can be traced back to the ancient world, but saw a massive resurgence during the Renaissance through the designs of Leonardo DaVinci and fully-functioning devices such as robotic monks. During the Industrial Revolution, automata became a form of entertainment, from children’s toys to intricate clockwork devices.

Every day at 11 a.m. in Munich, Germany, the story of the marriage of Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V in 1568 is told through mechanical jousting characters and other figures. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is a mechanical clock that features 43 bells and 32 life-sized figurines that all come to life. On Pier 45 in San Francisco, California, the Musée Mécanique is home to around 300 coin-operated automata and arcade games. From a collection of moving characters to a few ancestors of modern computers, here are 18 places to dive into the world of automata. 

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Hamelin, Germany

Glockenspiel of Hameln

The real life town from the Pied Piper of Hamelin has a mechanical puppet show that retells the famous story many times a day.
bquetglas Added by bquetglas
Osaka, Japan

Gakutensoku

Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.
Rachel Added by Rachel