Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"The thing that I'm most interested in at the moment is the so-called Infinite Energy solution - the possibility of finding new ways of tapping into virtually limitless sources of energy."
- Arthur C. Clarke
 |
| Porter Televox-Robot | ||
| A robot that carries your bags through the passageways of space liners. |
| The great, ungainly figure of the porter stalked down the corridor from the left. Gently it helped the fat man to his feet and picked up his traveling-bags and the two of them departed into the gloom of the ship. The porter was a size No. 3 televox-robot. He stood six and a half feet high, and moved with a curious croaking sound. There is a rather odd thing about the televox-robots that the General Electric has never been able to explain: although their manufacture is rigidly standardized nevertheless each machine turns out to have its individual peculiarities, and differs from all the others. It seems to have a personality of its own. Machines of this type have a square head with eyes and ears, an opening for oil, and a little diaphragm with which they can answer simple questions of a Routine nature. “When you’re through, come back and show me my room,” Burgess called after the robot. And indeed, in a few minutes the huge figure came stalking back, its queer croak re-echoing through the metal corridor. |
| Technovelgy from On Board the Martian Liner,
by Miles J. Breuer. Published by Amazing Stories in 1931 Additional resources -
|
Here's another interaction with the robot porter:
“Do you want anything?” he asked in soft, courteous tones.
“No,” said Burgess. “I couldn’t sleep, and came to find something to read.” He had decided to say nothing for the present. Then he was assailed by a foolish little feeling : the porter could understand his “no” but nothing of the rest of the explanation. It was difficult to keep in mind that these things were only machines ; one felt like treating them as conscious human beings.
The passengers retired sleepily to their respective rooms, and the porter returned to his niche; his faint croaking stopped and the night was quiet again.
Compare to the GPP feature (Genuine People Personalities) in Douglas Adams' 1979 book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Also, see the autoporter from The Shockwave Rider (1975) by John Brunner.
Downn the corrIdor, doors were opening and sleepy heads were poking out. The porter stalked up, the whirring of his gears audible in the night’s quietude.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from On Board the Martian Liner
More Ideas
and Technology by Miles J. Breuer
Tech news articles related to On Board the Martian Liner
Tech news articles related to works by Miles J. Breuer
Porter Televox-Robot-related
news articles:
- New Porter Robot - Matsushita Mechanorg
| Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo |
| DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It |
| How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots |
| Satyress Centaur Robot Horror Reminds Everyone Of Something |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Once in the very first weeks of the war, before everyone had been evacuated from the surface...'
'For a while your colonists will have to come up to the [orbital] Hospital...'
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
'The king, an old hand in the running of tyrannies, instantly grasped the directions...'
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
