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Mechanical Horse Sculpture Gallops In Place

Gaze in wonder at this kinetic 'Mechanical Horse' sculpture by Adrian Landon, a metal sculptor artist.

Rather than a mechanical horse that gallops in place, imagine yourself riding one! Science fiction and fantasy authors are ready to help.

Consider the chevaline from Neal Stephenson's 1995 novel The Diamond Age:

A horse, or something built around the same general plan, was coming down the street at a hard gallop. Its hooves did not make the pocking noise of iron horseshoes. Bud realized it was a chevaline - a four-legged robot thingy.

Fans of Christopher Stasheff recall with delight Fess (Faithful Cybernetic Companion) the robotic horse from The Warlock in Spite of Himself, his terrific 1969 novel.

Rod cradled the robot "brain" in the crook of one arm, leaving one arm free to negotiate the air lock. Outside again, he pressed a stud in the side of the ship. A large door lifted from the side of the pseudo-asteroid. Inside, a great black horse hung from shock webbing, head between its forelegs, eyes closed.

('The Warlock in Spite of Himself' by Christopher Stasheff)

Rod pressed a button; a crane extended from the cargo space. The horse swung out on the crane, was lowered till its hooves touched the ground. Rod twisted the saddlehorn, and a panel in the horse's side slid open.

Rod placed the brain inside the panel, tightened the clamp and the connections, then twisted the saddlehorn back; the panel slid shut. Slowly the horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.

I also liked this recent robotic horse:

(Intelligent robot horse via Xpeng's Pengxing Intelligent)

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/19/2023)

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