I Can't Believe That Happened History Podcast for Kids

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Leonardo DaVinci’s Robots History Podcast for Kids. Robot Lion, first self-driving cart, and robot lion all from the 1400’s! Share and press like.

Early Life: 1452- 1519 born into a challenging circumstance in Florence, Italy, but was given an apprenticeship at a painter's studio. Fishing reference.

Robots:

Leonardo’s Mechanical Knight:

The knight’s existence was discovered in 1957 by historian Carlo Pedretti.

Designed 1495 wearing German-Italian armor. According to records, it is believed the knight was built and at a celebration for Duke Ludovico Sforza in the court of Milan.

The knight worked via gear and pulley.

2002 the knight was rebuilt by robotics expert Mark Rosheim.

The knight went on to NASA helping in designing the planetary exploration robots.

Robotic Cart:

1478 the design was based on clock works with the power coming from wound up springs to regulate the cart’s drive mechanism. The direction or steering could be programmed with pegs put in round holes which would guide the carts directions to move at specific times. The drawing were found in the early 1900’s by Girolamo Calvi who dubbed the cart “Leonardo’s Fiat.”

In 2004 a working replica was made in Florence at 1:3 scale.

Take a look at these and then look up the Mars Land Rover.

Recreations and Applications to Current Robotics:

Da Vinci Lions:

According to records he built two automated lions for the French King Louis XII in 1509. It is said that one could rear up on their hind legs and present lilies (the flower of France). The second was a gift to Francois I when he visited, you guessed it Lyons (a city in France) in 1515. The King was so impressed with his new mechanical pet he offered Leonardo a permanent home in the French court.

Unlike the cart and the knight, we have far more records of the lions. Michelangelo wrote on the second lion’s abilities and design.

The lion was powered by a key capable of 10 steps before needing to be turned again.

In 2019 the lion was remade for The Italian Culture Institute in Paris. The lion was 10 feet long and 7 feet tall.

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Jaques de Vaucanson

Early Life:

Jaques de Vaucanson was born in Grenoble, France in 1709

10th child to a poor family of glove makers

Jaques wanted to become a clock maker as a child. His mother being very religious took Jaques to church with her. While she was in confession Jaques would watch the clock until he memorized its’ mechanisms to such perfection he was able to recreate it at home.

When Jaques father died when he was seven he was sent to live and train with the Jesuits. It was a difficult place for Jaques and he did poorly unable to concentrate on lessons. He was even punished for having cogs and wheels to create a boat in his possessions. There was a stand off with the priests where he refused to learn until a teacher would help him make a boat that could cross the pond. After being punished a math teacher and monk decided to help Jaques.

Later he became reacquainted with his love of mechanics after meeting the surgeon Claude-Nicolas Le Cat this is where his love of anatomy came from that will feature in his work.

At 18 he had his first automaton workshop in Lyon in 1727. Jaques created a robot that would serve the dinner and clear the table. Instead of being impressed one of the politicians found the robot to be an insult to the natural order and demanded the workshop to be destroyed.

This era was the time of the robots. They were all the rage in the royal courts though were often classified as toys or games.

Jaques was also greatly admired by the famous minds of his time. Voltaire even called him a "new Prometheus".

Robots:

The Flute Player

The flute player while a marvel was Jaques first steps into creating not just a robot that would perform tasks but a robot that could imitate life. In 1737 the flute player was made as a life size Shepard that could play 12 songs.

It is said that the flute player came to him in a fevered dream during a four month illness.

Vaucanson had been told by a musician that the most difficult instrument to play and tune was a flute. The challenge was set and he decided to make an automaton that would not just mimic playing but would actually play the most difficult instrument.

This is what made the flute player unique in a court full of interesting automata was that the machine was playing the music as if it were alive using fashioned lungs that created the breath, fingers that moved, and a mouth that created the shapes need to make the music. The robot was playing the flute in an approximation of how a human would. He also created a tambourine player and a pipe and drum player based on the same principles.

The Digesting Duck:

When attendance and money fell of from his musicians in 1739, Jaques turned to something entirely new, the digesting Duck.

“...it was the same size as a living duck. It could drink, muddle the water with its beak, quack, rise and settle back on its legs and, spectators were amazed to see, it swallowed food with a quick, realistic gulping action in its flexible neck.” Gaby Wood

It is important to say the duck would grab pellets from the hands of visitors, gulp the food down a tube where the pellets would be “digested” in the duck’s stomach and then the duck would poop out the food. The entire food cycle in a robot duck all to the hilarity and enraptured crowd of France.

Research:

This Eighteenth-Century Robot Actually Used Breathing to Play the Flute

By Kat Eschner

SMITHSONIANMAG.COM

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Living Dolls: A Magical History Of The Quest For Mechanical Life by Gaby Wood The Gaurdia

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Robert Smalls was born a slave in South Carolina April 5, 1839

At 12 years old Robert Smalls’ owners rented him out to work in the town and on the water as a lamplighter, sailmaker, and sailor. This was where he learned the skills he would later use to make his daring escape and when he met his wife Hannah Smalls. At this time Union ships blockaded the South's harbors and Robert Smalls began to plan his and his young family’s escape.

May 13, 1862 Robert Smalls and a group of fellow slaves made their way to the harbor at dawn, and stole an ammunitions ship that Smalls had been conscripted to work on by the Confederacy called the Planter and picked up their family members at predetermined ports. Smalls took on the role of Captain responding with proper signals at 4 Confederate check points including Fort Sumpter. Once they were in Union waters Smalls hoisted the white flag and surrendered to the Union Fleet. Keep in mind Smalls did this at the middle of the civil war. A slave who stole a ship in heavily armed confederate waters and delivered 9 men , 5 women , and 3 children to freedom.

Congress gave Smalls $1,500 and he went on a speaking tour to recount his story and recruit freed blacks to serve in the Union army.

For the rest of the war Smalls sailed the Planter which the Union refurbished into troop transport. Smalls sailed for the Union where his knowledge of the South Carolina Seas Islands was invaluable for 17 of his military engagements.

Robert Smalls was a large factor in encouraging Lincoln to allow free black men to serve in the Union.

During the war Smalls turned his attention to politics. In 1864 he joined the free black delegates. In the same year Smalls was thrown off a street car in Philadelphia. Due to his Celebrity Smalls was able to lead a successful boycott of the

Philadelphia public transportation system. thanks to Smalls the city started integration in 1867-

At the end of the war Smalls had become successful as a Brigadier General. Smalls bought his former owner's home in South Carolina giving the impoverished family a generous price for the home. Smalls spent his time after the war improving on his education and opening a store and a school for black children.

Smalls ever started a newspaper called the Beaufort Southern Standard.

In 1868 Smalls ran for and won his term in the house of representatives. From 1870-1874 Robert Smalls served as a US. Senator.

In 1874 Mr. Smalls won a seat in Congress. His political career was not easy. In 1877 he was arrested and charged with taking a bribe. He only spent 3 days in jail but the experience defocused him from his political goals, especially with the political rise of the

red shirts. In 1879 Smalls was officially pardoned by the governor.

Sources: Word of advice: This is to the best of my abilities and has been reviewed for information meaning read first before letting children read links.

Which Slave Sailed Himself to Freedom PBS By Henry Louis Gates Jr

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/which-slave-sailed-himself-to-freedom/

https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21764 https://www.biography.com/people/robert-smalls-9486288

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Created by

Name: John Joseph Merlin (1735-18030)

Apprentice to James Cox.Musical inventor, created a museum called Merlin's Mechanical Museum in Princes Street

In the 1760’s created something like inline skates but forgot a braking system, he tested these two-wheel skates at a party while playing a violin where he became closely acquainted with a large and expensive mirror.

and James Cox ( 1723-1800)

An incredible businessman who reminds me of P.T Barnum. He ran the most expensive museum called the Cox museum. The goal of the museum was to attract royal patrons.

The Swan was created by Merlin and Cox in 1773

The swan was described in a 1773 Act of Parliament as being 3 feet (0.91 m) in diameter and 18 feet (5.49 m) high.

It is life-size

The swan is no longer this tall which brings the question if there was a second swan that might be lost or stolen like the waterfall that was behind the swan that was stolen while the swan was on tour.

The swan automata has a long and interesting history. It was exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair n 1867 and was bought and sold many times.

The swan was admired by Mark Twain during its’ display at the Paris International Exposition of 1864,

‘I watched the Silver Swan, which had a living grace about his movement and a living intelligence in his eyes - watched him swimming about as comfortably and unconcernedly as it he had been born in a morass instead of a jeweler’s shop - watched him seize a silver fish from under the water and hold up his head and go through the customary and elaborate motions of swallowing it...'

When the crank is turned the swan looks around itself then preens its’ silver feathers. It then swings its’ head around searching for the silver fish in the waves of glass. When she finds her prey she swoops down grabbing the wriggling fish in her mouth

Most recently restored 40 years ago, there are three separate clockwork motors. One is for the music, activating steel hammers that strikeout eight tinkling tunes. Another creates the illusion of the babbling brook and its darting fish. A series of camshafts, rollers, and levers rotate twisted glass rods on which seven fish are attached. During the restoration, it was discovered that instead of heading in the same direction, three of the fish were meant to swim forward, the rest backward. It is thought that three of the fish are from the 18th century and four from the 19th.

Bowes bought the swan in 1873 for $318 roughly $32,000 today.

Due to the current pandemic, it looks like the swan might need some more work. During normal times the museum had the swan’s feeding schedule set for 2 PM every day. Since the pandemic, the swan was shut down, once the museum reopened there seems to be a problem with starting the swan back up.

Hopefully, this stunning automata will be back in working order soon!

The swan can be visited at the Bowes Museum in County Durham

Bibliography

https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/Collection/Explore-The-Collection/The-Silver-Swan#

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/robotic-silver-swan-has-fascinated-fans-nearly-250-years-180962024/

https://www.cultofweird.com/curiosities/silver-swan-automaton/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324355904578159601753981708#:~:text=Bowes%20bought%20it%20in%201872,Clock%20in%20the%20Hermitage%2C%20St.

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Sgt Stubby (Now a movie: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero)

1917 Private J. Robert Conroy found a brindle pup with a stubby tail which becomes the dog's name.
Stubby started his military career as the mascot for the 102nd Infantry 26 the Yankee Division.
Stubby was a quick study learning bugle calls, drills, and even found his own way to salute putting his right paw on his right eyebrow.
Even though animals were not allowed Private Conroy hid Stubby when they went to France on the SS. Minnesota. Like many things hidden Stubby was found and brought before the commanding officer where stubby promptly gave the Commanding officer the salute that would allow him to stay.
In February 1918 Stubby accompanied his troop to the front lines where Stubby suffered his first war injury: a poison gas attack. This is when Stubby not only survived but got his almost superpower of smelling even the tiniest bit of gas (ok. go ahead and giggle but this gets really good)
Early in the morning when everyone was sleeping there was a gas attack. Stubby raised the alarm saving many.
Stubby became a rescuer able to find wounded men by listening for English and bark until paramedics cane.
Stubby even captured a German spy. This raised the pup to the rank of Sergeant, the first dog to attain rank in the Us. Military.
After being wounded in a grenade attack Sgt. Stubby spent his time visiting other wounded military at the field hospital.
When the war was over stubby had been in 17 battles.
His retirement was no less impressive: he led the American troops in a review parade, visiting the White House meeting Woodrow Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge.
Stubby was decorated by General John Pershing the Commanding General of the United States Armies.
Stubby followed his dear friend J. Robert Conroy to his studies in law at Georgetown University where Stubby become their mascot.

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