Deputy Sam by 21st Century Robotics, Monroe, GA (1985) for Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office, Hillsborough County, FL. "With radio control, wired servos and power drive [using] Large DC motors. Deputy Sam Robot has two infrared blinking lights for eyes with mounted cameras next to the red LEDs. One arm is motorized and the head turns 180 degrees. Head can be removed for mobile operation and transporting."
Officer Jo – DARE CPO Robot by 21st Century Robotics, Monroe, GA (1985) for the Medford Police Department, Medford, MA. Starting in 1983, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program sent police officers into classrooms to teach fifth and sixth graders about the dangers of drugs – "DARE to say No." "The Community Service Unit is also the home for CPO-JO the police robot. Jo is a full size interactive robot that assists the department in teaching children and adults about important safety topics such as stranger awareness, traffic safety, and much more. Jo also promotes familiarity and positive relationships between the police and the public." – Medford Police Department.
Officer Mac "CHM133" (1984) by 21st Century Robotics, Monroe, GA for the NYPD. "This 21st Century Robotics robot was "an ambassador for the police". It was operated by remote control, showed videos about public safety, and was used as a "non-threatening aide to help counsel abused children". " – The Old Robots
"A new crime prevention program was instituted in 1984 aimed at enhancing the safety of the most vulnerable segment of our society - our children. In November, the Department unveiled a specialized police robot designed for school-related child safety programs. "Officer Mac" was donated for use by the Crime Prevention Section to instruct grammar school children on "stranger-danger," drug awareness and traffic safety. Working closely with officials from the Board of Education's Division of Curriculum and Instruction, a program has been devised and carefully scripted, using non-threatening language, for children in kindergarten through the second grade. Three police officers, chosen for their sensitivity, were assigned to assist "Officer Mac" in his assignment. Due to the mechanical characteristics and size of the robot the Department initially limited Officer Mac's visits to schools which were handicap-accessible (ramps or ground-level entry). The program started December 12, 1984. That very afternoon the Crime Prevention Section received an anonymous telephone call from a 7 year-old, who had been present at the lecture earlier that day, asking for advice about someone "touching him". That single phone call speaks volumes about the need and timeliness of Officer Mac's mission." Police Department, City of New York, Annual Report 1984 (P27).
Officer Broker – Safety Robot by 21st Century Robotics, Monroe, GA (1985), for the Waterloo Regional Police, Cambridge, ON. "Anyone remember our safety robot, Officer Broker? The Robot is on a roll, helping kids learn about safety issues, attracting attention and entertaining. This full size 'bot has more features and functions than any other crime prevention program robot available. He always holds the attention of the audience and encourages participation by people of all ages." – Waterloo Regional Police, via The Old Robots.
Officer Willi (AKA 'APD2') by 21st Century Robotics, Monroe, GA (1985). "This 21st Century Robotics robot was operated by remote control, showed videos about public safety, and was used in teaching important safety topics such as stranger awareness, traffic safety, and much more." It also stars in the 1987 movie, R.O.T.O.R., where "Willard the Robot is played by APD2, a robot purchased in 1986 by the police department of the Town of Addison, a northern suburb of Dallas, for $17,750 (approximately $41,000 in 2018 dollars). APD2/Willard performed public relations duties and was tapped to lead the Christmas parade in Addison that year. His contributions to actual law enforcement and his subsequent whereabouts are unknown." – IMDb
(animated GIFs by @yodaprod)
Expo Ernie by ShowAmerica, for the Canada Pavilion, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, and event mascot for Expo 86, Vancouver, Canada. "Expo Ernie is one of the more unique robots developed by ShowAmerica. Created for the Canadian government and premiered at the recent World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ernie is slated to be the mascot of the World's Fair of 1986 in Vancouver, B.C. The robot is presently on a national tour across Canada to build awareness for the fair." – The Personal Robot Book, by Texe Marrs (1985).
"For those who visited Expo 86, if they were lucky, they may have seen the event’s mascot, Expo Ernie. Rather than someone in a giant foam suit, Ernie was a remote-controlled robot that could interact with visitors. The idea for Ernie came about when Expo 86 Commissioner General Patrick Reid saw a robot at an American airport and thought it would be a great mascot. Responsibility for its design and construction fell on Ken Larson, who built Ernie, operated him, and provided the voice. Larson described himself as a freelance actor from Florida and he refused to have his picture taken because he felt Ernie should remain a robot in the minds of the public. Larson left the post of handling Ernie in 1985 when he moved back to Florida to work on acting and film production work. With Larson gone, Craig Wheeler, a 22-year-old acting student took over operation from Ernie. Leading up to the big event Ernie was a world traveler. [In] 82 He spent six months at the Canada Pavilion during the Knoxville World’s Fair." – Expo 86, Canadian History Ehx, by Craig Baird.
Robot Raiders, Video Expo Arcade, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. "Eight waist-high robots dashing around a ring zapping each other with light beams to the beat of rock music at the 1982 World's Fair have added a new dimension to electronic games. But the game, which costs $1.50 to play for about two minutes, may be just the "horse and buggy" of robot wars of tomorrow, its developers say. The game, called Robot Raiders, is played much like a video arcade game, except the action involves real robots, operated by remote control, in an octagonal ring. The eight humans at the controls fight their mini-war to the beat of hard rock music. As the lights flash and the music pounds, the robots race around firing light beams from their outstretched arms. The object is to hit an opponent in a a panel that registers the shot and transmits it by radio frequency to a scoreboard. "The guy says 'Go.' and everybody kind of comes up with lasers blazing," said Joe Stewardson, a photographer who says he played the game several times at the fair in Knoxville, Tenn. The robots, which are about about 3 feet tall, are "kind of your traditional robot," he said. The control stick moves left, right, forward and backward "just like a fighter pilot's," he said. While the game is getting its first public exposure at the fair, the gnome-sized warriors have been in the works for years at Sound Spectrum, an Orange County manufacturer. "What we wanted to do is extend the game beyond the cathode ray tube and develop a game that not only appealed to young people. but also adults as well…” said Gary Taylor, the head of Sound Spectrum. Dan Laughlin, another owner of the exhibit, said the players can visually track their hits by watching the light, which shows up something like a flashlight on the robot. "There are lights flashing on the floor, above and around the robots," Laughlin said. The show includes black lights and music with different frequency sounds that come from each of the robots as they shoot. Laughlin said the players, using remote-control "joy sticks," move the robots in an 18-foot radius from control podiums on the corners of the octagon. "They are inside what is almost like a cockpit of a fighter plane," he said. "They have a console where the hits are recorded, with a button on top their joy stick to shoot. While the game is popular, the owners concede it is expensive. But,” says Kail, "If a kid wants to play, he's going to pay the money. A lot of them are off on summer vacation, and have summer jobs." It's more of a main attraction, not for the average video parlor, more for theme parks and major shopping centers," he said." – Robot Raiders involves real, remote control robots, by Dolores Wood, Santa Ana, CA.
"They paid a quarter million for the world's first robot arcade game. There were eight robots but they did not work. We spent the last two months of the Fair engineering and building new robots. We had a few completed by the time the Fair closed." – Doug Dotson.
60 Minute Developing Robot (another Android Amusements DC-2), 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. "Visitors check out the 60 Minute Developing Robot during the World's Fair in 1982." – Remembering the 1982 World's Fair in pictures, Photo: Gary Heatherly, McClung Museum.
"The Robot Family" at the Tennessee Exhibit in the Technology and Lifestyles Center, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. The "Robot Family" stars Otto C., Connie, Jordette & Jordy, and puppy Chow. "I want to introduce you to father robot, come on out here Otto. Come on over here and turn around – "Yes ma'am" – Face the camera – "whoa!" Otto is sponsored by odyssey of Magnavox and here inside his drawer that says Otto C. he has an odyssey video game, go ahead Otto – "That tickles, would you do that again please?" – Sure. And now for mama robot Connie; Connie come on over – "Hello Charlotte" – Hi Connie, you look so cute – "Thank you so much" – I love your little pink dress – "We're enjoying our stay at the fair well." – Turn around and show them your baby. This is baby Dawn. Baby Dawn's too little to talk but she can move around a little bit. Connie is sponsored by conergy which also has the energy savings house here at the world's fair. And now the kids, Jordette the teenager and Jordy the little boy. Hi guys, come on right back here. This is Jordette and this is Jordy, both sponsored by Jordache. And what family doesn't have the family dog; this is little puppy chow sponsored by Purina." – Robot Family, 1982 World's Fair, Knoxville Tennessee.
"Connie" Conergy (an Android Amusements DC-2), The Conergy Energy Saving House, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. "Hi I'm Connie, I'm your robot from Conergy and I'm here to invite you to join us at the energy saving house at the 1982 World's Fair. We'll be there to tell you about all sorts of ways that you can save energy on residential housing. From household conservation, cooling, ventilation, heating, plumbing, and insulation. And we have all sorts of interesting characters that I'm looking forward to introducing to you when you come visit us at the fair. So please come join us. We'll be at the 1982 world's fair located across the street from the Japanese pavilion and next to the candy factory. Come see us." – Join CONNY and her friends at the Conergy Energy Saving House.
Japan Pavilion Painting Robot, 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. In the waiting area of the Japan Pavilion, the "Painting Robot" skilfully draws patterns chosen by guests. "Japan, no longer a tiny nation struggling to recover from defeat, had created the world’s second-biggest economy, and had just surpassed the United States to become the world’s biggest automaker, becoming a serious rival on the global market for several U.S. products. Highlighting their technological wizardry, Japan created a pavilion offering both a virtual and heart-stoppingly realistic bullet-train ride and a painting robot with a flair for semi-abstract art. It was just a symbol of what Japan had learned to do with robots in factories." – 1982 Worlds Fair in Hindsight, Knoxville History Project.
Betty and Taro, from the 1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, TN. "On entering the [Japan] Pavilion you are greeted by Betty and Taro respectively, the American and Japanese robots who must be related to that cute little robot R2-D2 from the Star Wars movies because the resemblance is remarkable." – From the Archives: Knoxville Worlds Fair Robots, WDEF News 12.
"THE JAPANESE ENERGY SITUATION The Japanese energy situation is introduced in an amusing manner through a dialog between the Japanese robot, "Taro," and the American robot, "Betty." Data on the Japanese and American situations are compared by use of a combination of graphic panels and an electric indication board which change according to the theme." – JAPAN PAVILION, The 1982 World's Fair, The Knoxville International Energy Exposition.
"H.J." promotional robot by ShowAmerica Inc., Elmhurst, Ill. (1982). "Officials at the H.J. Heinz Co. can stop worrying. H.J. – their saucy ketchup bottle robot – has been found. The 6-foot-tall automated mascot, used to promote the firm's more than 57 varieties of products at industry shows and other events, mysteriously disappeared Oct. 8 on the way to a show in Cleveland. United Airlines officials said the big bottle apparently had been sitting in the airline's San Francisco freight terminal for several weeks before anyone noticed, a Heinz spokeswoman said. H.J. then was sent to its listed destination, Cleveland, much too late for that show. An observant airline worker pieced together the whole story and shipped the robot to Chicago. H.J. was taken back to his home at ShowAmerica Inc. in Elmhurst, Ill., where he was greeted by H.J. II – a twin who filled in for him at some scheduled shows. Heinz officials said a reward offered for H.J.'s return, two cases of ketchup, will go to the airline employee who recognized the robot." – Ketchup robot found, UPI Archives, Nov 5, 1982.
The second photo shows the happy reunion of H.J. (left) with H.J. II (right) at ShowAmerica Inc. HQ – The State-of-the-Art Robot Catalog, by Phil Berger (1984).
"H.J. II" promotional robot by ShowAmerica Inc. for H.J. Heinz Co. (1982). Heinz was the "official ketchup" of the 1982 World’s Fair, held in Knoxville, Tennessee, known officially as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition. "A human-sized H.J. Heinz Co. robot shaped like a ketchup bottle added a little flavor to the experience of attending the 1982 World’s Fair. … The robot — which was appropriately 5 feet, 7 inches tall in tribute to the “57 varieties” company slogan — often got noticed by people entering the fairgrounds. Featuring mechanical arms but otherwise shaped like a giant ketchup bottle, it served as sort of an inanimate fair ambassador. ... Another Heinz ketchup robot named “H.J.,” which was based out of the Chicago area was to make a promotional appearance at a Cleveland, Ohio, department store, but its crate could not be found upon arrival via air travel. As a result, the Knoxville robot [is] apparently named H.J. II." – As World's Fair robots went, this one had to play ketchup, by John Shearer, Knox news.
Cobot (1977) manufactured by Creative Systems Group, Norcross, Georgia, for 21st Century Robotics, Inc. Coke produced these units (there are also smaller toy versions) for promotional appearances. They are remote-controlled, and include an 8-track player with tracks including, "Have a Coke and a Smile", Robot Bleeps, Computer Tones, plus Space and Laser Sounds. The dome turns around and has flashing lights, and the display on the dome can show "SMILE," and "Coke Is It."
Robot Pet (1979) by Frank DaCosta, Hollywood, FL. "It started innocently enough, during the good humor of a summer evening. My wife and I were pondering the fact that our apartment complex would not permit us to own a pet dog. Half in jest (little did I know!), I boldly countered, "Well, if we cannot have a real dog, we'll just build one—a robot dog!" You can guess the flurry of wit that followed— "Electricity is cheaper than dog food!" —and yet, there was anticipation. Could such a project be realized? … The robot pet makes use of the Intel 8085A, one of the most powerful 8-bit microprocessors available today. A basic microcomputer is built around this processor to form the Robot Control Unit-85 (RCU-85). The RCU-85 can remember by using its random access memory; it can perceive with external TTL circuits interfaced to its input ports; it can decide by means of its powerful instruction set and versatile programming philosophy; and it can control with external circuits accessed by its output ports. In complexity, it is far from a living brain; in operation, however, it is quite similar." – How to Build Your Own Working Robot Pet, by Frank DaCosta, Tab Books (1979).
Hot-Tots (1981) by David Coleman, The Robot Factory Inc., Cascade, CO. The pedant in me wants to say that these animated fur-balls are riding tricycles and have no need to balance – but why let that spoil a good story? "In addition to walking talking electromechanical robots of plastic and metal "skin", the Robot Factory also offers the animated HOT TOTS, fantasy fur creatures which can wear a variety of costumes and which thrill and delight youngsters (and adults!). They even ride bicycles. You have to see them to believe it. These robots are human controlled and also come preprogrammed on 60-minute cassettes; so they can do their thing without a human operator." – The Personal Robot Book, by Texe Marrs.
"Hot Tots ride a variety of children's toy vehicles. When a Hot Tot speaks, its mouth movement is synchronised with its words. Hot Tot bodies are made mostly of fake fur. Power unit varies, depending on what vehicle the Hot Tot is riding. As options, additional bodies and/or heads can be ordered, and costumes as well." – The State-of-the-Art Robot Catalog, by Phil Berger (1984).
