Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"Poised between intransigent scepticism and uncritical credulity, it [science fiction] is par excellence the literature of the open mind."
- John Brunner
 |
| Teleoperated Robot Surrogate | ||
| A robot that is entirely controlled remotely by a person who sees with the point of view of the robot. |
This very short story offers an early fictionalized account of a teleoperated robot. In use, the operator sees with the perspective of the robot's vision.
In the story, roboticist Dr. Alvin Peabody, who describes himself as "scrawny and fluffy-headed," seeks a date with another researcher in the field, Muriel Winthrop.
| My prize robot, tall, dashing would speak and act for me...
I turned to where, on my desk, I had set up my controls. To my ears I clamped receivers, upon my eyes I bound the gogglelike televisors that would coincide my viewpoint with that of the robot. A transmitter would place my voice upon those sculptured lips. My hands touched a great keyboard, whence, perfect through long practice, I could direct lifelike motion. My toe pressed a switch. At once, my vision-point changed. I seemed to sit on the bed's edge, gazing through the robot's pupils. I touched the keys, and rose to my - but that was an illusion, born of years of such experiments. I remained silent, but the robot rose. I moved it across the floor, closed its fingers around the doorknob, and set it out into the hall. My hearing, vision and awareness went along with that excellent imitation of a young Adonis... |
| Technovelgy from The Robot and the Lady,
by Manly Wade Wellman. Published by Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1938 Additional resources -
|
When he gets to the restaurant, he meets the beautiful Miss Winthrop, "tall and youthfully curved, filling [her] coat to snugness." However, after a few minutes of conversation, he finds that Miss Winthrop, too, has sent a robot!
She is disappointed with him, expecting a "refined, scholarly-looking gentleman of about forty, with spectacles." When he, in turn, learns that she is no tall ice princess, but rather "quite small," "red hair," and finally "nose turns up, with freckles" he can no longer contain himself. He offers to meet her at the restaurant in fifteen minutes - "make it ten," she breathed.
Ah, love at second sight.
Simple examples of this kind of robot already exist; see the PEBBLES teleconferencing robot for homebound school children and the InTouch medical rounding robot for doctors.
In case you don't think that robots could look enough like people to fool you (at least temporarily), take a look at Repliee Q1.
Compare also to the rolov from the 1953 story Roll out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil. Compare to eccentric projection from The Girl Who Was Plugged In (1974) by James Tiptree, Jr..
Compare also to the manufactured wife from A Wife Manufactured to Order (1895) by Alice W. Fuller, the
robotess from R.U.R. (1920) by Karel Capek, the
psychophonic nurse from The Psychophonic Nurse (1928) by David H. Keller, the
mechanical bride from The Mechanical Bride (1954) by Fritz Leiber, the
maid-robot from The Midas Plague (1954) by Frederik Pohl and the
Nanny from Nanny (1955) by Philip K. Dick.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 4 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Robot and the Lady
More Ideas
and Technology by Manly Wade Wellman
Tech news articles related to The Robot and the Lady
Tech news articles related to works by Manly Wade Wellman
Teleoperated Robot Surrogate-related
news articles:
- Would You Date A Robot? 1 in 4 Say 'Yes'!
- Meet Your Miniature Android Duplicate
- DARPA Avatar Program Coming, But Will Soldiers Want To?
- Candidate Claims His Opponent Is A Robot Body Double
- Unusual Twist On Woman Dates Robot
- Inbiodroid Prometheus 2.0 Telepresence Avatar Robot
| Epirus High-Power Microwave Defeats Drones |
| It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned! |
| Tactile Skin Supplier Map |
| Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Space-sickness is one of the most unpleasant sensations that a human being can experience. Not all are subject to it...'
'...I saw a nice black heavy-looking cloud sailing by just now, and I can get the electrical machine out in five minutes to draw it down.'
'From a distance it could resolve the cosmic rays reflected from various substances.'
'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
