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"Everything starts as somebody's daydream. And, when you're daydreaming, it is science fiction. It's when you start work out how you put it together, true science fiction becomes real science."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Rubber Soled Feet | ||
| Silent padding for clanky robots. |
There is nothing more jarringly unpleasant than the clanking of metal robot feet on hard floors!
| They were terrified at what they saw. It was
described as being “a huge iron mass that resembled a man.” Violet-colored blazes raced over the
hideous giant. Brilliant red lights glowed where its
eyes should have been. The thing had arms and
legs. It stood erect, turned its head from side to
side in a monotonous manner with a mechanical
leer on its metallic features.
The salesmen were paralyzed with fear as it stalked down the aisle of the store. Its feet were shod with rubber, apparently; for when it moved there were no noises other than a slight grinding whirr. According to the Daily Bulletin, it walked, or rather glided, to the vault, reached into the trays, and scooped up a handful of blue diamonds. |
| Technovelgy from The Robot Terror,
by Melbourne Huff. Published by Scientific Detective Monthly in 1930 Additional resources -
|
You'll also find this in Isaac Asimov's Reason:
The robot rose erect smoothly and his thickly sponge-rubber soled feet made no noise as he followed Powell.
Compare to the silencer-padding from Robot Unwanted (1952) by Daniel Keyes and the rubber hoof from The Warlock in Spite of Himself (1969) by Christopher Stasheff.
"Cutie," he said, "I'm going to try to explain something to you. You're the first robot who's ever exhibited curiosity as to his own existence – and I think the first that's really intelligent enough to understand the world outside. Here, come with me."
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Robot Terror
More Ideas
and Technology by Melbourne Huff
Tech news articles related to The Robot Terror
Tech news articles related to works by Melbourne Huff
| Robot Hand Separate From Robot |
| Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated? |
| Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way |
| Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself |
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'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'
