1966 – Tinker the Robot – Dennis Weston (British)
[cyberneticzoo: Dec 2014]- Tinker the Robot lives! One of my favourite robots from all time has been found and will be cleaned-up over the next few months. Initially he was thought to have been scrapped. Thanks to Paul Weston, Dennis Weston's grandson by his first marriage, for the news and photo.
Tinker, a remote-controlled robot, is seen here performing one of his 180 separate movements for his inventor, 42-year-old Dennis Weston. The robot contains 120 electronic motors, a zoom-TV camera, a memory and 29 channels for receiving signals from a gadget-filled cellar. Mr. Weston can watch the robot while it cuts the lawn, odd-jobs, runs errands and takes the baby for a walk, by a television camera installed in the roof.
see video clip here.
The control panels inside Dennis Weston's garage.
Where is Tinker now? If anyone knows of his whereabouts, please let me know.
**Update Jan 2012**
From correspondence with Dennis's son Martin (see comments below), he says that Tinker was given to his Dad's friend, Brian, in 1974 as Dennis no longer had the space available to keep it. Brian owned a shop called Leeds Radio during the 60s and 70s; he sold army surplus radio equipment. Most of the gear that went through Brian's shop was eventually stripped down and sold off as spare parts. Unfortunately, the same thing probably happened to Tinker.
Percy was just another one of Martin's Dad's 10,000 unfinished projects. It never got completed and the hand just accumulated dust under a pile of junk in Dennis' cellar/workshop. It probably ended up being melted down for scrap. Martin's Dad, Dennis came up with lots of "inventions" during his lifetime, most of them were just fancy ideas he scribbled on the back of cigar packets. Dennis Weston died in 1995 aged 71.
See also Dennis Weston's Percy the Robot:
1970- Dennis Weston – "Percy"Tags: 1966, British, Dennis Weston, Humanoid, Paul Weston, Percy the Robot, Robot, Tinker, Tinker the Robot, Wally the Weeder
May 26th, 2010 at 2:55 am
hi there, dennis weston was my grandfather, he has sadly passed away now. the robot is no more. it was taken apart along tme ago & recylcled. sorry…
October 31st, 2010 at 8:35 am
hi dennis was my grandfather too. My mum (julie weston now julie martin) remembers tinker very well. I’ve heard he was not recycled and given to a freind. so tinker lives on.
November 17th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Dennis Weston is my Great Grandad and I am VERY proud of him!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Dennis lived across the road from when I was a kid. I remember Tinka going to the shops quite clearly. Dennis was a brilliant man and is sadly missed by anyone who met him. I recently visited a fellow who makes millions from making juke boxes and games machines. He said that Dennis was the cleverest man he ever met.
January 10th, 2012 at 4:16 am
Hi Dennis Weston was my Dad.
Dennis friend Brian has Tinker.
Hopefully lives on.
February 16th, 2012 at 2:06 am
Hi ther he is my grandad too so nice to meet you,
February 16th, 2012 at 10:30 am
Nice to meet you, too, Mel.
Reuben (cyberneticzoo.com)
February 14th, 2014 at 2:02 am
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November 21st, 2014 at 10:33 pm
i was told tinker was given away for scrap but i have recently found tinker at an unclosed location. if this site allows i will post pictures later.