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Queen Juliana opens Holland's Flower Show in 1955. SABOR greets her and she accepts a gift of flowers from him.

See Video clip here.
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Film Title: QUEEN JULIANA OPENS FAIR – HOLLAND  
Card Title: 100 YEAR OLD HAARLEMMEERPOLDER
Location: Harlem, Holland
Date: 07/07/1955 
Length: 41 secs 
Story Number: 63983
Description: Queen Juliana performed the opening ceremony at the centenary of a famous Dutch Exhibition. Her Majesty's bouquet was presented to her by a Robot.
Shot List: CU of Queen Juliana and party. GV of exhibition. Queen opens gate. Robot presents flowers. Robot shakes hands with the Queen.

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SABOR exhibit building in Brussels World Exhibition, 1958.

One of the last modifications made was to inlude light control via photo-cells. The flashing torch corresponding to the rotary dial.

Peter Steuer with SABOR V c1960.

SABOR V in Kassell, c1967.

SABOR had his fair share of pretty women!

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Peter Steuer with SABOR on the liner "Rotterdam" on their way to New York – May, 1961.

Flash light control was put in place by Eric Lanz for the American trip.

SABOR V lights a cigarette for "Rotterdam" captain, Commodore Coenraad Bouman.

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SABOR V went on tour to Israel.

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SABOR with Joachim Kulenkampff.

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Brochure: Courtesy Barbara Douvalakis, Peter Steuer's daughter.

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Spare parts used to maintain SABOR when on a tour, now at the EBM Museum in Switzerland.

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Transcription of emails I had with Eric Lanz from Jan-Feb 2008.

RH: I would like to know all the functions Sabor V can perform. i.e. walk, wink, head tilts forward?, smokes, raises arm, twists wrist, bend elbow, steers left/right?

EL: The basic functions are as follows:
Dancing backwards and forward movements,smoking via a vaccum pump,cigarette in
the hand,shooting a pistol, moving arms up and down, head turning left /right, eyes
open/shut and blinking. Sabor could not turn only straight walking forward or
backwards.

RH: I would also be interested in getting a description of the visible components ie where they are located and what they do ie the two meters in the middle of his chest, telephone dial, head functions, the number of radio-control channels, etc
EL: Controls:
Basic all functions via telefon dial i.e. dial 11 and he would walk etc,remote control via
handset or remote station.Voice and lip movements when talking only via remote station.
Radio controlled (function identical of model aeroplane). Voice over Short wave or later
FM modulation.

RH: Does he have an inbuilt voice/vocabulary, what remote control features are there, is there an automatic mode or not?
EL: My functions:
Maintain service and repair,transport to and from places of display,i.e United States in
1961,when in shows I was hidden away on a remote location i.e behind curtain or other nearby room,I would hear what Peter was asking Sabor and I would make the functions via remote station with dialling and voice. I speak French, English, German, Italien and Spanish…..I also had a dictonary at my station in case some more tricky questions needed an anwser.
The voice was picked up by a microphone inside Sabor and my voice via a microphone
at the base Station.On the main Aluminium Chest where 2 nipples which could be removed giving access to the frequency adjust for signal and Voice.
Relays, each function had its own relay, 4 batteries 2 in each leg gave it the stabilizing
weight and power.There was an AC converter for AC functions,drive motors where DC powerd,other function where clutch chain driven.
The Radio and remote functions where AC powerd with a two way channel function.
Example:
Peter(owner) asked "Sabor……..how are you……". I replied "not too good have a
cold……sneeze….". Now often the voice frequency needed adjusting, that is when he put
his hand in through the chest to adjust (Applaus and laughter from the spectators)
Display:
Usualy we where booked by an Agent…..Store, Theater, Show, Fair and Fairgrounds,but also a 6 months Tour of the US including TV apperance NBC New York,Various shows and commercial venues…

[late January 2008].

Further  Questions :

RH: Who was Bobby Lugano anf Paul Watensberger?

EL: Bobby Lugano was a Conferancie or demonstrator known in the Swiss and Austrian area. He would present the Robot if Peter Steuer was not present.
I believe Watensberger was an engineer from Basel who worked with Peter Steuer in the early days. He would do the functions behind the closed door or curtains during the early days, prior to my engagement.

RH: Sabor always wore a watch, maybe because we was Swiss? I'm guessing that one of the routines was for Sabor to look at the watch and tell the time.

EL: The presenter during a show would say "tell me the time Sabor" the remote station would then activate the corresponding Number, the arm would bend and move towards the head, once there the head would tilt towards the arm and I would respond over the microphone the time. The same would happen if he ask to give the lady a light, a corresponding number would activate the lighter, same with the pistol.
PS.Sabor was also smoking a cigarette, via an air bag in the center which would inhale and exit the smoke via a tube inside the mouth.

RH: Do you know anything about Sabor III & IV?
EL: I dont know too much about Sabor III or IV.

I sent Eric a video clip of Sabor IV  [British Pathe]

ER: What a wonderful shot of film of Sabor.
The Film shows Sabor IV, which I did not work on at the time because I joined in the 1960's only.
I made the modification for Sabor V, although we used the basic shell and some mechanics and electrics from his "Brother".

RH: How long were you with Sabor?
EL: I was with Sabor 1961-1969 then joined the aviation engineering……

RH: Did the shows stop when Peter died?
EL: Yes the shows stop prior to his death and Sabor was banished in to his Garage, where it was eventually given by his wife to the [EBM] Museum.

EL: The 2 smaller brothers Niko where shipped to the US. Niko was a fixed Robot slightly smaller the an adult, fixed on a platform and a hidden taperecorder was built inside of him. Prerecorded messages came from his lips an activated as soon as you removed a piece of information (sheet) out of his hand, usally telling people about the shows program. He would then reach in to his attached box and pick up a new paper.

RH: Roughly how many hours operation on a single charge of batteries?
EL: Batteries where charged up after each performance to make sure of good operation, we had of course plenty of spares (we carried everything in a small campertrailer)

EL: The remote control is not the one of your picture that was the old one and very unreliable.

RH: You say that Sabor could not turn. Does that mean there was a lot of man-handling of him? ie did you have to push him around a lot?
EL: Sabor could turn but we used it as little as possible, principle like a tank- stop one side and he would move slighty to the side…..the actual Robot was mostly on a stage and
did hardly any walking at all.

RH: When you use the telephone dial, you said what '11' was. On a dial '11' is two '1's ?  so the control unit then recognised when you had finished dialling?
EL: When dialling, again principal was like a phone dial after the Number was dialled the action was transmitted via a phone selector relay then to the relay and finaly the
action.

RH: Was Sabor shipped as a single unit, or was he dis-assembled for transporting?
EL: Sabor was dismantled by me, head removed, batteries removed then put on a stretcher with wheels and the placed inside the transporter trailer.

RH: With you skill in various languages, the illusion of Sabor as being an artificial life form must have been very real. How did you get the job of working with Peter and Sabor?
EL: I landed the job because I was a certified toolmaker with electronic and electrical qualification and because I spoke english (trip to the US pending). I guess that was the
crunch to get the job.

[continued February 2008]

RH: The twenty separate units in Sabor's chest, are each of those a separate  function, which control a sequence of steps ie a programmable switch/timer? When you say you dial "11" to perform a function, is that two "1"s, or "0" plus "1" to give eleven?
EL: The units on his chest were individual Relays each for a function, dial 11 gives eleven,there were all two digit functions.

RH: You also mention that you modified Sabor when you first joined. Were the modifications major?
EL: He also had a photocell were you could flash twice was equivelant to 11. The modification where substancial,i.e remote and radio,mechanical improvements,added functions etc.

RH: Here's a pic of Sabor IV as used in a movie [pic from Automates]. Is the Base Station real or just a movie prop?
EL: That was the one for Sabor IV, the modified unit was only about 60x30x40 cm and consisted of a two way communication, microphone, loudspeaker, dial and antenna.
Peter had also a handset which he operated usaly at the beginning of the show.
We also took part in a concert with Lionel Hampton and took part in a display at the arrival in New York harbour with TV crews present.
Also a special audience with ED Sullivan at his 60's shows.
When we displayed at a show,often people would comment that " there is a man inside" were he then would remove the aluminium front chest and displayed the array
of relays etc…….
Most people would believe that Sabor has a great knowlege of everything,thanks to my dictionary and personal inputs,often I would say my brain is not trained to this question try another one.
Also and unfortunately the Base Station was not shown to the public.
 
RH: I had the impression Gertrud Steuer was Peter's wife, maybe its his daughter.
EL: Yes Mrs.G.Steuer was his wife unfortunately I had no contact with her since 1961.
 
RH: When you were "SABOR", did you talk in a Robotic-like voice  "Hel-lo , how – are – you – to – day?"
EL: My voice was not robotic but just slow motion and depending on the language and pronouced as needed.

RH: what was the material covering SABOR's legs, and were his hands beaten out of aluminium?
EL: The hands and feet(shoes) were in Aluminium,the legs were a very tough thick leather which bound in the back similar to shoe laces in order to get quick access to the batteries.

RH: The picture on the cover of the book "Die Roboter Kommen!". I always thought that was Sabor IV, not V [it is Sabor IV].  Externally, is there someway to tell the difference?
EL: The book " Die Roboter kommen" is mainly Sabor V and unfortunately not many people are still about to tell you more then I can about it. Sabor IV was just a lot less
complicated with a poor quality material, relay radio etc,also the mechanical bits where not good quality and lots had to be replaced or modified.

EL: When I was in the Museum last year [RH-2007] I had to show the administrator how the Robot worked as they had not a clue and we went in to the Archive to find the rest of the utilities i.e. Base Station microphones etc.

EL: P.S. In my later years some of this Robotism must have has an affect on me and I built a fully automatic drinksbar in the shape of Globe with a 110cm diameter.Again you could dial a Number and a certain selected drink would pour in to a glass and the appear at the front of the bar….it would also explain how it works in 4 Languages at the select of a button……but this is another story

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Sources and other references:

"Die Roboter Kommen!" – Exhibition catalogue, 2007

QUB Magazine, November 2007.

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SABOR's compared – Huber's earlier 1938 SABOR IV on the left, followed by the modifications made by Peter Steuer for SABOR V , then the modifications by Eric Lanz. The far right shows the same internals of SABOR V as modified by Lanz, but externally made to look like an astronaut, and called "Orbitus" at the time. Mechanically, SABOR stayed the same with minor updates.

Externally, SABOR IV is identified by his lack of eye-brows, but more specifically the shorter antennae, being for the ultra-short-wave radio transmitter/receiver. The earlier version of SABOR V externally has a battered body, no eye-brows, and a metal neck, not mesh like the later model.

See SABOR V last version here.

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SABOR V – showing battered body (arms), and updated electronics. The Second World War interrupted August Huber's plans to implement a further attempt of his SABOR series. The earlier SABOR IV had good mechanics, but Huber was not happy with the electrical controls. Electrical Engineer Peter Steuer continued  Hubers’ work from his 1947 SABOR IV and developed SABOR V and was responsible for the upgrade to the radio equipment and other electronics. In 1951 SABOR V was now in the ownership of Peter Steuer.

SABOR V with Peter Steuer getting his batteries charged ready for a show at Hamburg , Germany in 1952.

These pictures are from a larger collection from LIFE magazine.

SABOR's head carried separately inside the transport vehicle.

SABOR V being unloaded from the back of the transport vehicle. He was carried vertically on the rear of the van. You can just see the removable cover on the righthand side of the image.

Bobby Lugano (pictured?) took SABOR V all around Europe, usually in Steuer's absence, and appeared on the television and at other public events. Bobby Lugano (aged 34) was a Magician and Conferencier from Vienna and Paul Watensperger was his behind-the-scenes assistant.  In this image we see SABOR smoking. A strange method in that the cigarette is held in the hand, the hand is usually moved to his mouth, then exhales through his nose. In reality, there is a bellows inside SABOR and a rubber tube from the hand to the bellows to the nose.

SABOR V in HAMBURG, 1952, with Paul Watensperger (age 29, from Basel) at the remote controls.

SABOR V, the media called him "Louis" for his 1954 tour. The person in front is possibly Paul Watensperger.

Above: Photographed in Hamburg, Germany on the 10 Aug 1952.

Paul Watensperger commanded Sabor by a short-wave radio channel. Under the system of telephone pulses using a 1 to 0 , from the dial electric signals generated on the short wave base-station and transmitted to Sabor to a phone center – housed in the chest – and activated a relay system to trigger the reactions of the robot.
There are theoretically 24 movement possibilities and can be combined with each other.  Hands are usually combinations of three or four basic movements. Sabors basic movements come close to a persons.  He can move
* Back and forth,
* Sideways,
* Lift the arms,
* Bend the arms,
* Rotate the head,
* Nod the head,
* Move the lips.
Only on stages does Sabor still have a serious worry: he has no knees. And instead of shoe with soles, he tramples around in the open on three small wheels, one in the toe of the foot and two at the back, so Sabor rolls with a walking movement. The legs also lack knee joints.
The Metropolis-show advertising Sabor announced as "the first robot. … Without the direct monitoring by human movement". 
Its cruising speed is 2.5 kilometers per hour.
If Sabor speaks, he moves his mouth while in rhythm with the voice, but Sabors voice is the voice of his master, which consists of a short-wave loudspeakers in the inside of the body  of the robot.  The speaker is on relays with the movement of the lips mechanism coupled to the electric shocks of consonants responded folding system of the lips.
The following effects are necessary for exhibition purposes.  Sabor can, for example,
* Blink the eyelids,
* Fire a revolver,
* Offer a light for a cigarette, and finally
* Smoke a cigarette.
The robot, however, smokes strangly. He raises his hand with the cigarette to the mouth and blows the smoke from the nose, but in reality it sucks the smoke – but no one sees – from the hand, up the arm to the nose and blowing it out.

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VIDEO CLIP

Gaumont Pathe Archives have a 1952 video of this version of SABOR V. You have to be registered (free) and logged in to see the preview.  Search for "1952 28 8".

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August Huber was the owner of a well-flourishing textile business, and although SABOR V had passed control to Steuer, Huber was looking to finance another robot, called SABINE, and SABINE was be be an artificial rope dancer, being capable of riding a unicycle on a tightrope. Huber got as far as designing it on paper.  

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SABOR's compared – Huber's earlier 1938 SABOR IV on the left, followed by the modifications made by Peter Steuer for SABOR V , then the modifications by Eric Lanz. The far right shows the same internals of SABOR V as modified by Lanz, but externally made to look like an astronaut, and called "Orbitus" at the time. Mechanically, SABOR stayed the same.

Externally, SABOR IV is identified by his lack of eye-brows, but more specifically the shorter antennae, being for the ultra-short-wave radio transmitter/receiver. The earlier version of SABOR V externally has a battered body, no eye-brows, and a metal neck, not mesh like the later model.

See SABOR V later version here.

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From “Automata”, Chapuis and Droz. Translated by Alec Reid 1958.

The working of the second robot (Televox was described earlier) is much gentler. It is called “Sabor,” a Swiss giant, the brain-child of Auguste Huber, who brought it into the world in Appenzell.
At the request of a newspaper, Huber himself has thus summarised the “civil status” of his unusual offspring –

  “Name :Sabor IV ; he had three brothers already deceased.
  Place of birth : “Le Buhl” near Niederteufen, Appenzell.
  Son of Auguste Huber.
  Age : 10 years of trial and effort.
  Weight : 500 lbs.
  Height : 7 feet, 4 inches.
  Profession : short-wave robot.”

In fact, Huber has previously built three other automata, one of which he began when he was only 12 years old.  This was made of wood, but even in its primitive form it contained a radio transmitter and receiver.

SABOR II, which was completed in 1930, was much more highly developed. It could sit down, beat a tambour and a big drum, and was controlled by a photo-electric cell. It was sold in Germany and Huber does not know what happened to it.  The construction of SABOR III was faulty, and so it was demolished. Finally, at the beginning of 1938, SABOR IV appeared.

“Its principal motive parts are twenty little electrical appliances. The arrangement of this “nervous system” in the framework was no easy matter. The robot moves on two legs fitted with wheels. One leg takes a pace forward, brakes automatically, and the other then comes forward in its turn. Questions put to the robot are picked up by the microphone (Sabor’s ears) and are immediately sent out by the transmitter (brain) and the lateral antennae to the control centre. The first wave directs Sabor’s words and actions simultaneously, and there is perfect synchronization between the speech coming out of the load-speaker and the movements made by Sabor’s lips. Eight batteries take the place of the “heart” in Sabor, while about 500 yards of electrical wire make up its “blood stream”.

Automata are Huber’s hobby. He is a textile manufacturer by trade, but from time to time he feels himself compelled to yield to the irresistible fascination of mechanics. Perhaps this will lead him one day to give the world a younger brother for Sabor, one even more highly developed.

Sabor’s history is worth telling at some length and reads like a detective story.

In 1938, at the request of an entertainment promoter, Huber brought his mechanical man to England, and Sabor IV was actually exhibited at the Coleseum and at the Albert Hall in London. The inventor, however, had signed a contract, one clause of which was not clear, and he learnt to his horror that the promoter had sold the robot without his knowledge. He got it back only with great difficulty, but then the customs claimed 30,000 Swiss francs from him. Drastic action was required. While Huber himself secretly left London, some of his friends sent the mechanical man to Newhaven, whence it crossed the Channel on a steam trawler. On arrival in France, the metal giant continued its journey home by rail, and in 1939 it made a triumphal entrance at the National Exhibition in Zurich.

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SABOR IV with August Huber.

August Huber being offered a light by his creation.

Sabor IV with August Huber seated at the usually hidden base station as featured in the film "La Féerie des Automates." 

from Popular Science – April, 1939.

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VIDEO CLIP

A video clip is available from British Movietone, but you need to log in first. Registration is free. Search on 'SABOR'.

 

Film Title:	No Title
Card Title:	NEW ROBOT MAN – NO SOUND
Location:	N/A
Date:	04/01/1939
Length:	50 secs
Story Number:	35214
Description:	N/A
Shot List:	At Berne, in Switzerland, M. Huber demonstrates his latest invention, a robot by the name of "Sabor".

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SABOR's compared – Huber's earlier 1938 SABOR IV on the left, followed by the modifications made by Peter Steuer for SABOR V , then the modifications by Eric Lanz. The far right shows the same internals of SABOR V as modified by Lanz, but externally made to look like an astronaut, and called "Orbitus" at the time. Mechanically, SABOR stayed the same.

Externally, SABOR IV is identified by his lack of eye-brows, but more specifically the shorter antennae, being for the ultra-short-wave radio transmitter/receiver.

See SABOR V early version here.

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From “Automata”, Chapuis and Droz. Translated by Alec Reid 1958.

“Sabor II,” a Swiss giant, the brain-child of Auguste Huber, who brought it into the world in Appenzell, Switzerland.

Prior to Sabor IV, Huber had previously built three other automata, one of which he began when he was only 12 years old.  This was made of wood, but even in its primitive form it contained a radio transmitter and receiver.

SABOR II, which was completed in 1930, was much more highly developed. It could sit down, beat a tambour and a big drum, and was controlled by a photo-electric cell. It was sold in Germany and Huber does not know what happened to it.  The construction of SABOR III was faulty, and so it was demolished. Finally, at the beginning of 1938, SABOR IV appeared.
Automata are Huber’s hobby. He is a textile manufacturer by trade, but from time to time he feels himself compelled to yield to the irresistible fascination of mechanics. "

Another report suggests that the first three Sabors were all destroyed.

See post on SABOR IV here.

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"MM7" on the left, Claus Scholz in the middle and "MM8" on the right. 

Scholz made MM7 between 1957-8 and finished with MM9 in 1973, so I believe. 

The MM7 Selektor human machine is the development for which the international scientist Scholz-Nauendorff, nicknamed the "Viennese father of robots", is best known. Designed as a means of studying cybernetic movement the MM7, with its feedback stepping switches and visual receptors, is widely regarded as the predecessor of today's industrial robots. Its inventor later concentrated on artificial thought processes in an attempt to motivate follow-up models to act autonomously.

Cybernetic Machine MM7 Selektor, 1961

Claus Christian Scholz-Nauendorff [1915-1992]

Inv # 21918

MM stands for MaschinenMensch i.e. MachineMan.

Popular Mechanics 1964 incorrectly calls this robot MM47, it is MM7. 

Younger lady is Scholz daughter, I believe.

Note: MM47 is a typo, should be MM7.

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 MM7's younger brother MM8 (Contina).

Notice the later modified head on MM8 between the images above and below. The rear head mount and grill-mouth are changed. This is an upgrade of MM8 .

Upgraded MM8.

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MM8 is controlled by another 'phantom' or remote control, looking simpler than MM7's phantom.

The combination of 'phantom' and controls and motors makes MM8 much more responsive than MM7. The video clip shows MM8 brushing Mrs. Scholz' hair, near impossible for MM7.

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See video clip below:

AUSTRIA: INVENTOR SHOWS ROBOT "SERVANTS".
Clip Description:

Story
MR. KLAUS SCHOLZ, A VIENNESE INVENTOR AND ENGINEER, HAS DEVELOPED TWO ELECTRICAL ROBOT "SERVANTS" WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO PERFORM VERY EXACTING TASKS.

AS WELL AS ANSWERING THE DOOR AND THE TELEPHONE, THE ROBOTS CAN POUR DRINKS, SHAKE HANDS, HANG UP CLOTHES AND VACUUM CLEAN FLOORS. TO ANSWER THE TELEPHONE, THE ROBOT USES A MINIATURE TAPE RECORDER DEVICE WHICH IS BUILT INTO ITS HEAD.

THE MOVEMENTS OF THE ROBOT ARE CONTROLLED BY COMPLEX INSTRUMENT PANEL IN THE INVENTOR'S WORKSHOP. MR. SCHOLZ HOPES TO DEVELOP HIS MECHANISM EVEN FURTHER SO THAT EVENTUALLY HIS ROBOTS WILL BE VISUALLY ABLE TO RECOGNISE AND REACT ON KNOWN OBJECTS. HE ALSO PLANS TO BUILD A MACHINE WHICH WILL DO ALL HOUSEHOLD CHORES – EVEN THE WASHING-UP.

Reference 2661/64
Can 3734
Source REUTERS
Date original 16 MARCH 1964
Duration 1.49
Technical 16MM/NEG.
16MM/POS.
Subset Reuters TV – RTV Post 1957
Location VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Sound 
Colourbw B/W
 
1. MV FIRST ROBOT AT DOOR 0.05
2. CU "SCHOLZ" NAME PLATE ON OTHER SIDE OF DOOR PAN.. TO ROBOT OPENING DOOR 0.13
3. CU ROBOT MOVES EYES 0.21
4. MV ROBOT CLOSES DOOR 0.27
5. MV KLAUS SCHOLZ AT DESK 0.29
6. CU SCHOLZ AT CONTROLS 0.34
7. MV DITTO 0.36
8. CU VOLTMETER 0.39
9. CU SECOND ROBOT TAKES VISITOR'S HAT 0.51
10. CU FIRST ROBOT 0.53
11. CU SECOND ROBOT 0.59
12. CU SECOND ROBOT'S EYES MOVE 1.04
13. MV FIRST ROBOT WALKS WITH BOTTLE IN HAND 1.11
14. CU FEET MOVING 1.16
15. CU BOTTLE OVER GLASS HELD BY SECOND ROBOT 1.21
16. CU SCHOLZ MANIPULATES CONTROL FOR POURING ACTION 1.25
17. CU BOTTLE TILTS 1.27
18. CU POURS DRINK INTO GLASS 1.36
19. CU SECOND ROBOT RAISES GLASS TOWARDS HEAD 1.44
20. CU FIRST ROBOT 1.49

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Another video clip here, thanks to the author of a comment below in locating it.

Stills  from clip.

MM7 (and MM8) remotely controlled by a 'phantom'.

Scholz was also experimenting in voice recognition and ….

…pattern recognition.

Claus Scholz.

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Translated from Spanish by Google
A creature that is not gossip
Last "robot" built by the Viennese engineer Claus Scholz, who has been engaged for years in this kind of gadgets. Went do remote electronic control, open the door when the doorbell rings, the phone serves, if Mr. or Mrs. are not home, takes message on tape and plays it when convenient. It also handles the vacuum or serving a drink if asked. In short, perfect maid or butler, the days off without pay.

Caption: Taking a wrong message by telephone without names is something that "MM-7" made without difficulty. (Improved image from another magazine)

Caption: The lady who goes to visit her friend is frightened by the disquieting aspect of the "maid". But you will get used to her. (Improved image from another magazine)

(Improved image from another magazine)

Caption: [Below image] Will need to understand that children of the house, if any, are gradually accustomed to a different home as physical as the one they know. To the left [above], 'MM-7' helps to shed the coat sir.

Google translation from Spanish

LADY: BEHOLD YOUR NEW DOMESTIC

It's ugly, but does not answer to bad manners

THE Vienese Engineer Claus Scholz is about to solve the problem of domestic service, as alive as living standards improve. He has built and what will be the perfect servant and that currently called "Selector MM-7 '. This is a "robot" able to perform simple tasks, such as dusting, open the door, sweep, serving snacks and dry dishes. The mechanical maid is high. It measures 1.82 meters, but weighs little: is less than 50 kilos. Her skin is not pleasant, it is made of synthetic resin, and has feet too big, first to fit the number 49. Nor can it be said to offer a pleasant face. But evil does not answer, no armhole and, above all, does not require frequent wage increases or claims free time to go with her boyfriend to "cinema". For now, the new home is in the period that the housewives have devoted to updating the servants from the village. The engineer Scholz says his "chacha" soon be perfected and that before long enough that the lady says, "Prepare a meal for six people" so that the "robot" fulfill the order. For now, the acquisition of a maid is expensive electronics. If forecasts are met rows mass production and further desired, housewives can calm breathing, and tightness of the traditional "girls serve" will be corrected with the entry into the homes of these dolls, which provided "mnemonics files" receive instructions and develop relevant work .., without question. So be it.

Source: Blanco y Nero, Dec 1963

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MM7 as he was in 2009.

In May of 2009 I travelled from Australia to Europe on a pilgrimage to see the old robots the had infuenced and aroused me in my youth. I went to Vienna to see Heinz Zemanek and his many Cybernetic tortoises and Maze solvers. These items are now housed in the Technical Museum of Vienna. Whilst there, I also saw Scholz's MM7, which was unexpected. DI Dr. Otmar Moritsch arranged for my behind the scenes visit. Here is the address of the Museum:

Technisches Museum Wien
medien.welten
Mariahilfer Str. 212
A-1140 Wien

Head and upper body detail.

It looks as if Scholz had walking and stability problems early on with MM7.  The knees were then "frozen" to prevent a bending action, and a metal frame added that also extended the length of the feet and added a steering castor at the rear.

David Buckley (on the right) joined me on my pilgrimage. Peter Schoen, Dr Otmar Moritsch's colleague who went out of his way to ensure our visit was a success, is on the left.

Close-up of the hands.

Detail of the head.

MM7 has no back as such.  His exoskeleton body is made of reinforced fibreglass.  MM7 was mains, not battery powered.   

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MM9 was built around 1973, so i'm lead to believe, but currently I have no image of it.  MM6 was built in 1957-8.

MM6 found!

Here's the amazing story of how MM6 was found:

ANSICHTSSACHE NR. 14: "Einer von denen" – Christian Stadelmann über eines seiner Lieblingsexponate in der Ausstellung "Roboter. Maschine und Mensch?"

Im Technischen Museum Wien ist noch bis 14. Juli 2013 die Ausstellung "Roboter. Maschine und Mensch?" zu sehen.

Christian Stadelmann, gemeinsam mit Bodo-Michael Baumunk Kurator der Ausstellung, stellt hier eines seiner Lieblingsexponate vor. Es handelt sich um den „Maschinenmenschen“ Numero 6 aus dem Jahr 1958. Erbaut wurde er von dem Wiener Kybernetiker Claus Scholz-Nauendorff in dessen Privatwohnung. Christian Stadelmann umreißt die Bedeutung dieses Roboters folgendermaßen:
„Das ehrgeizige Ziel, das Scholz-Nauendorff verfolgte, war es, sogenannte künstliche Intelligenz in Gestalt humanoider Roboter zu schaffen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit muten aus heutiger Sicht bizarr an, allzu simpel erscheinen die technischen Lösungen angesichts des Anspruchs, ein dienstbares Wesen zu schaffen. Aber die Öffentlichkeit zeigte vor allem an den Nachfolgemodellen MM7 und MM8 großes Interesse. Scholz Nauendorff präsentierte seine ‚Geschöpfe’ mit ernstem Stolz im Fernsehen und in Zeitungs- und Zeitschriftenartikeln. Dauerhafter Erfolg war diesen Forschungsaktivitäten nicht beschieden. MM7 kam ins Technische Museum Wien, MM8 ins Wiener Bezirksmuseum Landstraße. Sie haben dort einen eher skurrilen Status erlangt. MM6 ist überhaupt in Vergessenheit geraten.“
Und wie kam nun dieser MM6 in die Ausstellung des Technischen Museums? Das ist eine jener spannenden Geschichten, wie sie Ausstellungsmacher/innen auf der Suche nach interessanten Exponaten gerne erleben. Im Zuge der Recherchen zum Begleitmaterial zu den „Maschinenmenschen“ konnte Christian Stadelmann die Witwe des 1992 verstorbenen Kybernetikers, Friedericke Scholz-Nauendorff, ausfindig machen. Während eines Gesprächs über die „Maschinenmenschen“ ihres Mannes erwähnte sie dem Kurator gegenüber en passant, dass „einer von denen“ ja noch „hier herumsteht“. Für Christian Stadelmann war das ein ebenso aufregender wie berührender Augenblick:
„Auf meine unsichere Frage hin, was sie denn meine, führte mich die beim Gespräch anwesende Pflegerin von Frau Scholz-Nauendorff in einen Vorraum zur Küche, wo tatsächlich in einem Erker der mannshohe, über 50 Jahre alte Roboter stand. Wegen mechanischen Problemen hatte Scholz-Nauendorff seinerzeit die Entwicklung daran eingestellt und mit der Herstellung des Nachfolgemodells begonnen. Über meinen Wunsch, den MM6 ins Museum zu holen, zeigte sich die Betreuerin sehr erfreut, denn sie fürchtete sich jedes mal, wenn sie an ihm vorbeigehen musste, wie sie gestand.“
Für Christian Stadelmann ergab sich bei dieser Gelegenheit nicht nur ganz unerwartet ein tolles Ausstellungsobjekt, sondern auch eine direkte Verknüpfung zu den vielen Hoffnungen, die in Roboter gesteckt wurden und werden – wozu auch die Vorstellung zählt, dass Roboter dereinst in der Pflege von kranken Menschen eingesetzt werden könnten. Ein Gedanke, der in diesem Moment und in Gegenwart einer Pflegerin aus Fleisch und Blut einen ähnlich unheimlichen Beigeschmack besaß wie die äußere Gestalt des MM6.

English translation

ANSICHTSSACHE NO. 14: – ". Robot machine and man" "One of those" Christian Stadelmann about one of his favorite exhibits in the exhibition.

The Technical Museum in Vienna until 14 July 2013, the exhibition "Robots. Machine and man?" to see.

Christian Stadelmann, together with Bodo-Michael Baumunk curator of the exhibition, shares with us one of his favorite exhibits. These are the "human machine" Numero 6 from the year 1958. It was built by the Viennese cyberneticist Claus Scholz Nauendorff in his private apartment. Christian Stadelmann outlines the importance of this robot as follows:
"The ambitious goal of the Scholz-Nauendorff pursued, was to create so-called artificial intelligence in the form of humanoid robots. The results of this work seem bizarre at from today's perspective, the technical solutions seem overly simplistic, given the claim of creating a serviceable creature. But the public was mainly due to the subsequent models MM7 and MM8 interest. Scholz Nauendorff presented his 'creatures' with earnest pride on television and in newspaper and magazine articles. Long-term success was not granted these research activities. MM7 came to Vienna Technical Museum, MM8 into Vienna's Museum highway. They have acquired a rather bizarre state. MM6 is ever forgotten. "
And how does this MM6 came into the exhibition the Museum of Technology? This is one of those fascinating stories, as curator / inside in search of interesting exhibits like to experience. In the course of research on the supporting materials for the "machine-man" could make Christian Stadelmann's widow died in 1992 cyberneticist, Friedericke Scholz Nauendorff, locate. During a conversation using the "machine-man" of her husband, she mentioned the curator over en passant that "one of those" still "around here is." For the Christian Stadelmann was as exciting as touching moment:
"In my uncertain question what they mean for me the nurse present during the conversation of Mrs. Scholz Nauendorff led into an anteroom to the kitchen where actually stood in an alcove of the head-high, over 50 years old robot. Due to mechanical problems Scholz Nauendorff had once stopped developing it and started the production of a new model. About my wish to bring the MM6 to the museum, the supervisor was very pleased, because she was afraid every time she had to walk past him, as she confessed. "
For Christian Stadelmann was found on this occasion not only quite unexpectedly a great exhibit, but also a direct link to the many hopes that have been placed in robot and be – including the idea is one that robot one day used in the care of sick people could be. A thought that at this moment and in the presence of a nurse in the flesh had a similar sinister connotation as the exterior of the MM6.

As a result of the 2012-13 Robot exhibition held at Vienna Technical Museum, I now have images of MM6.

Scholz was exploring electro-hydraulic limbs in MM6, dating from 1957-58.

Above photo by Thomas Preiss.

Images by David Kotrbar.

MM8 normally resides at Wiener Bezirksmuseum Landstraße (Vienna's District Roads Museum).

MM8 doesn't walk (slide) as per MM7, but rolls around with rigid legs.

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Picture rights: praktiker.at/Felix Wessely

Claus Scholz with MM8 in 1990.

Picture is from praktiker magazine 6/1990 which carries an excellent article on the story of Claus Scholz and has diagrams of MM6 to MM9.

Claus was a Professor. The only paper I could find is "System with automated exploring of problems for intelligent data processes by ergonomic dialog" published in 1982 under his fulll name of Claus Christian Scholz-Nauendorff.

Audio files by Scholz are located here and here. An English translation by a reader would be greatly appreciated and acknowledged.

Missing Articles: Mentioned here are 2 articles on Scholz that I'm having difficulty in locating.

One is supposedly in an 1964 edition of LIFE magazine. I've searched all of 1964 issues online and not found this article. It may be in an International edition of Life Magazine.

The other is in a 1970 German edition of Mickey Mouse (Micky Maus).

Any assistance in locating these articles would be much appreciated.

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