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Caption: This electronic Robot might have prevented the horse-racing ban, but it would cause technological unemployment among the jockey fraternity.

Source: Radio-Craft for March, 1945.
RADIO JOCKEY – Electronically-Controlled Robot Rider By ERIC LESLIE
HORSE-RACING—the game of kings—has one great weakness. The suspicion of "fixed" races, of "pulled" horses and of dishonest jockeys, has prevented this sport from taking its place with such American national institutions as baseball or football. Even where track officials make every effort to keep their races "clean," an unsavory aura still attaches to the practice of racing horses.
A freak race in the early days of radio broadcasting gave rise to suggestions for a type of horse-race in which the jockey would be eliminated. The event referred to took place at the Cook County Fair, Chicago, in 1922. A horse—appropriately named Radio—raced with no jockey other than a radio receiving set and a horn loudspeaker on his back. His jockey, or more properly trainer, remained in the stands at the microphone of a small transmitter, giving directions and shouting encouragement. According to reports, as the horse came into the home stretch the trainer shouted, "Come on, Radio! Come on, boy !" and the horse responded nobly, just as if the trainer had been sitting on his back and was urging him on toward the finish line.
Spectacular as the stunt was at that stage of the development of radio, it proved only that the speaker was no substitute for a jockey, who not only with voice, but with hand and heel, urges his mount on to victory.

Some years ago [CZ: prior to 1945], H. Gernsback proposed a device which uses equipment and methods not available in 1922 to supply all these. The loud-speaker works as in the older setup, the reins and crop are controlled front transmitters in the stands, at which the trainers can sit comfortably while watching the progress of their "mounts" at any part of the track. The "jockey" would consist of a modern radio receiver, with outputs fitted both to a speaker and to relays which would set into action motors which control the arms to which the reins are attached, or operate the crop. Additional motors can be provided—or attachments made to those used-which would permit changing the posture of the "jockey", causing it to lean further forward or rise upright, to sway to the left or the right, as may be required during the race. It is well-known that a jockey uses his body as well as his voice and the reins in guiding his horse.
Should there be any suggestion of "pulling" or other unfair action, it would not be necessary to depend on the opposed statements of a pair of jockeys, neither of whom might have been in the best condition—either physically or emotionally—to note actually what had happened during the portion of a second in which many of these incidents occur. A complete record of all the jockey's actions can be kept on a tape which would form a part of the transmitting apparatus, so that there could be no dispute as to how any incident had occurred or how much restraint was applied to a horse at any given period during a race.
Old-time sports may believe that such a system would take the "kick" out of racing, but they do flock to the dog-races to watch the electric rabbit !

Caption: "Jockeys" who are electronic experts, and have to watch their fingers instead of their weight may help to make this proposed Radio Robot a reality.

Gernsback resurrects the idea in his annual publication "Forecast" (distributed late 1961).

Source: The Deseret News, 27 Dec 1961.
If Robots Replace Jockeys What Happens to Racing? Forecast Of Future Finds 'Robots' Replacing Jockeys….

INEZ ROBB The holiday season always brings to my door a pair of publications that brighten life considerably. The first is the Farmers' Almanac, without which I would never know quite when to put on my long underwear, plant potatoes, or mothproof the woolen closet……………  

The second publication to spread knowledge and happiness through the household is the annual "Forecast" of Hugo Gernsback, widely acclaimed as "the father of science fiction" and the editor and publisher of Radio-Electronics Magazine. Gernsback is a man on rapport with the future, to say the least. And while I am overjoyed to know that if I can live until 1986, the threat of atomic, hydrogen, cobalt or any other missile is kaput (the submarine demises two years earlier), nonetheless, the most sensational prediction in "1962 Forecast" is of concern to The Society for Improvement of the Breed of Bookies. Sometimes in the future – Gernsback doesn't pinpoint the date electronics will replace the jockey. Or rather the jockey won't be up. The future Sande or Hartack or Arcaro will be in a remote control tower that can do anything the jockey does, including whipping." Instead of saddle and rider, the horse will carry a power pack weighing 35 to 50 pounds that will be capable of "reining" any future Native Dancer.

Presumably the power packs will be painted in the colors or the respective stables of owners, although this is a fanciful thought of my own that I hand on to Gernsback. From his control tower the jockey will be able to sweet-talk; his horse home, since the steed will be wired for sound.

Gernsback believes his system, already feasible in his opinion, will make "for faster and more scientific races."
There are only two problems here: (1) Can you "fix a power pack? (2) Will the future jockey, manipulating in his control tower a panel that looks as complicated as that of a jet plane, have to show a degree from M.l.T. or Cal Tech? Since I am not a horse player, I don't know whether Gernsback's prediction will kill or cure racing. But there it is, for tote board and bookie alike to ponder. ……………

Arthur Radebaugh's interpretation of Gernsback's Electronic Jockey. 1962.

Camel Jockey

A robot jockey is commonly used on camels in camel racing as a replacement for human jockeys. Developed since 2004, the robotic jockeys are slowly phasing out the use of human jockeys, which in the case of camel racing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, often employs small children who reportedly suffer repeated systemic human rights abuses. In response to international condemnation of such abuses, the nations of Qatar and the UAE have banned the use of human jockeys in favor of robots. See more in Wikipedia here.

Patent info.

See also Syd Mead's Racimals here.

Source: Popular Mechanics, March 1922

Patent number: 1287643 – see full patent details here.
Filing date: Dec 12, 1917
Issue date: Dec 17, 1918

Source: Popular Science, September 1922 

Reading Thoughts by Radio   (Source: Popular Mechanics – May, 1924) 

Can thoughts be read by radio? “Madam Radora” seems to prove that they can. Madam is not a human being, but a life-size automaton shown at the Permanent Radio Fair in New York. Her “thoughts” and movements are controlled entirely by wireless; no wires of any kind are attached to the table whereon she rests, and a liberal reward is promised the person who can prove that this is not true. Persons desiring to ask questions simply stand before “Madam Radora” with their hands resting on a special pedestal carrying a number of electrical contacts. Radora then bends over her crystal, and answers the questions put to her in a clear, feminine voice.

(Source: Chapuis, Alfred and Edmond Droz; Automata: A Historical and Technological Study. Translated by Alec Reid. Neuchatel (Switzerland) 1958

One of these mechanical creatures called " the chatterbox " talked very well, but it was worked by a different system which Papp describes as follows : 1
" Sitting in her armchair, this lady answers any questions put to her by her visitors, whereas all the other figures of this type have a vocabulary which is limited by the number of discs that can be stored inside
their chests. This untiring gossip, however, is helped by a human being placed in the wings, to whom she is connected by two wires. This ' assistant' operates a kind of piano with fifty keys. Each of these sets in motion a fragment of sound film corresponding to one of the most frequently used syllables in the English language. When the question has been asked, the operator first writes down his answer and then presses the keys of the appropriate syllables one after the other. In this way he arranges next to each other corresponding strips of sound film and transmits, through a loud-speaker concealed in the mechanical lady's head, the answer which has been requested.
" Just as by pressing down the keys of a typewriter the letters forming the words are written on the paper one by one, so the series of selected syllables make up a complete sentence."
Comparing this robot woman with the musician of Jaquet-Droz, a journalist bluntly stated that the former " had not one hundredth part of the grace of the smiling figure in the museum at Neuchâtel."

1. French magazine Je Sais Tout Feb 1939

(Source: San Antonio Evening News 07 Nov 1922 p9)

LIFELESS PSYCHIC IS LATE RADIO MYSTERY
Can thoughts be read by radio? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle says it is possible, and his theory would seem to be proven by Madame Radora, a lifeless radio psychic, at the Permanent Radio Fair in the red room of tbe Hotel Imperial at New York City.
Madame Radora is not a human being, but a life-sized automaton whose movements and thoughts are carried to her on the wings of the electro-magnetic wave. No wires of any kind are attached to her or the table upon
which she rests, and a reward of $1,000 awaits the person who can prove that this is not true.
Persons desiring to ask questions simply stand before her with their hands resting upon a special pedestal carrying a number of electrical contacts. Radora then bends over a crystal and answers their questions in a clear feminine voice.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS: MONDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 25, 1929.

"Radio Wizard" to Appear Here Under Auspices of Express-News Operates 4 Cars by Wireless at Once

In operating by wireless control four standard, stock model automobiles at the same time, Maurice T. Francill, world-renowned engineer and inventor, performs one of the most difficult experiments in all the realm of radio selectively. He is the only person ever to accomplish such a feat.
The exploit, has been termed "the riddle of radio," because none except Francill can explain how he does it.
The principle and system he employs have baffled scientists.
Francill will present this marvelous invention in San Antonio and vicinity for six days, starting Monday.
March 4. He will give 12 demonstrations of the operation of the four cars at one time. A fifth automobile, he will steer in any direction he may elect or that spectators may request.
One of his exhibitions of the radio-controlled automobiles will he given in the open air each day of his engagement, either in a different section of the city, a suburb, or a nearby town. One will be held each evening at 8 o'clock in show rooms of the Winerich Motor Sales Company, Third and Broadway. All of the exhibitions will be free. The public is invited to attend.

Educational Feature.
Francill is being brought to San Antonio by The Express and The Evening News, as an educational and scientific feature, to give demonstrations of skill that has won him fame. He is rated as probably the greatest living authority on the application of wireless control to motive and other forms of power and popularly is known as "America's radio wizard."
In addition to operating the radio-controlled cars, it is planned for Francill to offer a number of other wireless wonders never before seen in this city or section. Among these it is intended for him to run a street car, without motorman, conductor, or touch of human hand, from one extremity of the business district to another: to "bake bread," "freeze ice cream," "bottle pop," "clean clothes" and visualize to women "The Radio Home of the Future," all by wireless control.
Control of four automobiles at once by radio is baffling to engineers and other technicians, because Francill uses only one transmitter, one wave

length and one electro-magnetic impulse or wave, at a time to perform upon the cars either the identical, or different, operations of the machines, singly, or in unison, or in any combination of numbers he desires.
With the cars at a standstill, the wizard can flash the headlights bright on one and dim on another; start the motor on the third and sound a horn on the fourth machine, simultaneously.
Or, changing, he can produce any other series of operations he wishes, even controlling the machines in motion, in opposite directions, from standing starts.

Stock Model Autos.
The automobiles Francill will use will be Studebakers of latest design.
The cars will be supplied to him through courtesy of the Winorirh Motor Sales Company- distributors.
Francill selected Studebakors because of their ease and flexibility of engine movement and other mechanical refinements.
He must have every helpful assistance that science can provide in order successfully to present his amazing exhibition.
The automobiles will not be altered, changed, or prepared, mechanically, in any way, except for addition of the delicate, brain-like radio-control apparatus to each car.
What Francill accomplishes with the automobiles he uses, he says he can duplicate with any other Studebaker cars, because all machines of that make are uniform of performance.
At each demonstration of the radio-controlled cars, Francill will visualize to spectators both sending and receiving of his wireless waves, which will be flung from a miniature transmitter, or "magic box," weighing only three and a half pounds, and which he will hold in his hands. Radio-control equipment will rest on a running board of each automobile.

Others May Run Cars.
Francill will be a distance of 50 to 500 feet, from the cars during each demonstration. He will even pass his transmitter to members of his audience and permit them to fling the waves that control the automobiles.
This will show there is no slightest form of trickery, fraud or deceptions in the exhibitions, for it will demonstrate conclusively that the automobiles will do for others exactly what the cars will do for Francill.

Name is copyright. Francill, Maurice Jay – The Miracle man of the atomic age – 25 Nov 1947 AA85607

Real Name – Francis Cowgill.