Sometimes it’s important to just take a moment and reflect on life. It can be a real relief to let go of technology for a moment and think about something else. History maybe. And there’s no better way to slow down than by taking a walk with an eight-foot-tall, 1,000-pound robot that moves 10-feet per minute. Ahh, how quaint.
Gygan, also called Cygan and Mr. Moto, is one of the first robots, built in 1957 by Italiana engineer Ing Fiorito and brought to London (somehow) in 1958. Now at 56, Gygan is on the move and will go on sale at Christie’s “Out of the Ordinary” auction on August 5. The auction house projects that the humanoid robot will bring between £6,000 and £8,000.
It’s unclear how much functionality Gyga has today, but in its heyday the robot could walk backwards and forwards, turn side to side, move its arms and hold/crush items in its “hands.” Apparently it could even respond to spoken commands and other signals. So not exactly a return to simpler times. [The Telegraph]