“Popular Mechanics (Sep 1956, p.90) drawing made by Frank Tinsley from designs by Lee A. Ohlinger of Northrop Aviation, Inc. of a robot mechanic for the proposed atomic-powered airplane, a star-crossed project that stumbled through 10 years and $500,000 without ever getting off the ground.”
Other designs were developed based on the concept, including the GE “Beetle” of 1961.
[Images & story found here.]
The ‘Power Driven Articulated Dummy’ project was under Contract No. NAS 9-1370 and ran from May 22, 1963 through July 31, 1965. It was originally built for Nasa’s Manned Spacecraft Center by the Illinois Institute of Technology.
The reason for a test dummy was officials hoped to use it during design and testing of a spacesuits, which might otherwise be painful, tedious or even dangerous for human beings.
The 1965 robot was able to simulate 35 basic human motions and used sensors to gather data on how the human body acted in a pressurized suit – but it never made it off the ground due to its tendency to leak oil.
Only two of these robots were created, the one selling for $80,000 and another that is owned by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
[Found here.]
My Good Pott, Doc Pomus & Curley Russell’s All Stars (1948)
Jerome Felder, better known as Doc Pomus, was one of the grandfathers of rock and roll. He wrote and performed rhythm & blues, a genre that belonged almost exclusively to black American artists whose 78s were often categorized as “race records.”
“By the late 1950’s he was established as one of the best songwriters in the business which is where he’d make his name and cement his legend. During that time it’s doubtful anyone buying his classic compositions performed by The Drifters, Dion & The Belmonts, Ray Charles and the ultimate white-Negro Elvis Presley, were even aware Pomus once sung this kind of music before any of those artists had even cut their first record.”
Spontaneous Lunacy – The History of Rock ‘N’ Roll – Song By Song
Another of Pomus’ contemporaries broke the R&B color barrier soon after: Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, aka Johnny Otis.
“Doin’ dishes?”
Blowing up Stretch Armstrong.
[via Memo Of The Air]
Over 12,000 phone calls so far this year.
[via The VFLL]
Places to go: The best museum restrooms.
[via Mme. Jujujive]
#BadStockPhotosOfMyJob. (More on The Twitter.)
[Top image: Robot lineup found here.]
From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.
[Found here.]
Slummin‘, Don and Dewey (1959)Don “Sugarcane” Harris (aka Don Bowman) and Dewey Terry never had any hits of their own but others did with covers of their songs. Sugarcane Harris had particular success playing electric violin as a sideman for Little Richard, Johnny Otis, John Mayall & Frank Zappa, and in the 1980s was a member of the punk/jazz/psychobilly group Tupelo Chain Sex.
Greta taught us everything.
New Hampshire volcanoes and stonewalling [via].
DALL-E 2: Describe an image and let AI create it [via].
[Top image found in here.]
From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago.
Boston Dynamics did it again – and that’s not a typo in the title – the robot is named Spot.
Straight from the Caribbean Osnabrück, Mr. Hurley & Die Pulveraffen (the Powder Monkeys) are German “grogstars” playing Irish melodies with a rock pirate theme. (A powder monkey’s job was to bring black powder to the ship’s cannons.) Yo ho and shalalala.
The SIDH is an Italian band that plays electro Celtic metal bagpipe club music; 2018 band interview here.
Iain Marr – whistle player/piper
Federico Melato- keyboards and percussion
Michael Subet – bass
Salvatore Pagliaro – electric & acoustic guitar
[h/t Mme. Jujujive]
It’s that time of year when we set our calendars back, so have a great three day weekend and we’ll see you here tomorrow.
July 19, 1965 – L.A. Times
GADGET FOR TODAY–Author Lawrence Lipton, chronicler of the beatnik scene, demonstrates his “robot,” Duhab (Detector of Undesirable HABitués). Lipton says robot ferrets out the undesirables – including censors, book-burners.
[…]
“The Venice West beat scene was the most promising attempt ever made to bring avant-garde culture to Southern California, and it was murdered by self-righteous, puritanical busy-bodies and hostile police,” he said.
[Image and story found here.]
Tacky Raccoons 