Automaton facts for kids

Tea-serving Japanese automaton, "karakuri ningyō", with mechanism (right), 19th century.

An automaton (plural: automata or automatons) is a machine that can work by itself. It's designed to follow a set of instructions or do a series of actions automatically. Some automata are made to look like they are moving on their own, like the figures that strike bells on old clocks. These amazing machines have been around for a very long time!

What Are Automata?

Automata are special machines that don't need a human to control them all the time. They are built to perform specific tasks on their own. This could be anything from a simple toy that walks to a complex device that calculates things.

How Automata Work

Automata follow a set of rules or a program. Imagine a music box: it plays a tune because of pins on a cylinder that pluck metal teeth. That's a simple automaton! More complex ones might use gears, levers, or even computer programs to make them move and act.

Making Automata Smart

Sometimes, machines can be very complicated. Scientists and engineers try to figure out if a machine is as simple as it can be. They ask if there's a way to make the same machine with fewer parts or steps. If a machine can do the same job with less, it's considered more "minimal" or efficient. This helps make machines better and easier to understand.

Famous Automata Through History

People have been fascinated by automata for thousands of years. Ancient inventors created clever devices that moved using water or air. Later, during the 18th century, amazing clockwork automata were built that could play music, draw pictures, or even pretend to eat! These early machines were like the ancestors of today's robots.

Images for kids

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  A postulated interior of the Duck of Vaucanson (1738–1739)

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  Pinocchio automaton

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  The book About automata by Hero of Alexandria (1589 edition)

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  The Antikythera mechanism from 150 to 100 BC was designed to calculate the positions of astronomical objects.

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  Automaton in the Swiss Museum CIMA.

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  Bell-ringing Death on Prague astronomical clock

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  A Japanese automata theater in Osaka, drawn in 18th century. The Takeda family opened their automata theater in 1662.

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  Elephant automaton at Waddesdon Manor

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  Peacock Clock created by James Cox

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  All three of Vaucanson's Automata: The Flute Player, The Tambourine Player, and Digesting Duck

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  A singing bird box made about 1890 by Bontems. Bird dressed with iridescent hummingbird feathers and case made of tortoiseshell.

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  The flute-player by Innocenzo Manzetti (1840)

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  Alexander Pushkin automaton (2010) by Swiss automaton maker François Junod.

See also

In Spanish: Autómata (mecánico) para niños