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"I have been a soreheaded occupant of a file drawer labeled 'Science Fiction' and I would like out, particularly since so many serious critics regularly mistake the drawer for a urinal."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
 |
| 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
| Mornine Sales Robot |
| Bipedal Robot Floats Gently While Walking |
| YES!! Remote Teleoperated Robots predicted by Technovelgy! |
| Will Robots Ever Fold Landry? |
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Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
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2000's 2010's
'If you're one of those rarities who haven't attended a rocket-polo "carnage", let me tell you it's a colorful affair.'
'They filed clumsily into the battleroom, like children in a swimming pool for the first time, clinging to the handholds along the side.'
'a walking balloon proceeded with long strides of its aluminum legs...'
'There was nowhere on the planet where science and technology could not provide one with a comfortable home...'
'Most men updated their PIP on New Year's Day...'
'...a misshapen, many-tentacled thing about twice the size of a man.'
