Probably the most famous mechanical chess player is the chess playing Turk by Wolfgang von Kempelen, unveiled in 1769 (see ...

Back in the 18th century, this automaton called ‘The Writer’ was built by Jaquet Droz. After more than 200 years, the robot has been reanimated and it’s way creepier than any robot made today.

Robots are generally seen as creations of the 20th century, but the modern automaton dates all the way back to the 16th century and legendary Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci. Swiss watchmaker Pierre ...

It’s easier than ever to build your own robot, but humans have been building automatons since before anyone had even thought of electronics. One beautiful example is the Silver Swan, built in the 18th ...