Sunday column

From Award-Winning Designs to Cozy Companions: The Long History of Mechanical Creatures

Assistant Curator Esme Mahoney-Phillips explores the long and surprising heritage of mechanical animals, highlighting notable examples to show that these inventions are far from being a purely modern technological breakthrough.

Sophia Rodriguez

Desk editor

Editor’s note

The full column continues in quiet type below.

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Sunday Broadsheet

When people picture robots, they often imagine metallic humanoid bodies or lifelike androids pulled straight from science-fiction stories. However, the fascination with autonomous machines is far older than today’s pop-culture robots. For centuries, humans have experimented with self-moving devices, crafting mechanical creatures long before electronics existed.

The term automaton—derived from Ancient Greek and meaning “to act on its own”—was historically used to describe these early self-regulating mechanisms. These devices, powered by gears, springs and similar systems, set the foundation for later robotic developments. Meanwhile, the word robot only entered the vocabulary in the 20th century. It first appeared in 1920 in Karel Čapek’s play Rossum’s Universal Robots, coming from the Slavic root “robota,” meaning compulsory labour.

One of the earliest references to an automaton dates back to around 400 BC. Archytas of Tarentum reportedly constructed a steam-driven wooden bird capable of flying roughly 200 meters. For generations following Archytas, inventors used animal-shaped automata to showcase engineering skills, and even visionaries like Leonardo da Vinci joined the tradition.

Da Vinci is believed to have produced several mechanical lions in the 1500s, created for King Francis I of France. These lions were said to walk and move their heads independently. Since none of the originals survive and no detailed technical drawings were left behind, our understanding of these machines relies largely on contemporary descriptions. Using those historical accounts, along with Da Vinci’s surviving mechanical sketches and additional archival material, modern engineers and historians have re-created the lion multiple times. These reconstructions have been displayed at venues including the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris and the Château du Clos Lucé, where Da Vinci spent his final years.

Mechanical animals enjoyed a particular surge of popularity in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Among the most fashionable items were singing automaton birds housed in decorative cages. The French manufacturer Bontems was especially renowned for its high-quality creations. Their caged birds used a wind-up mechanism: after winding, users could operate a lever that set the bird in motion, prompting it to swivel its head and tail and open its beak while a music box beneath mimicked birdsong. Some models even performed intermittently, making them appear more lifelike and unpredictable. Collectors prized Bontems pieces for the accuracy of their movements and sounds.

France became a major centre for automaton production, and another influential maker was Roullet & Decamps. Their designs often featured whimsical, fairy-tale-like animals, including a rabbit emerging from a cabbage. Powered by a winding key, the rabbit would rise, twitch its ears, move its mouth and scan its surroundings before settling back down. The company also produced a tiger that leapt, a rabbit that played the violin and even a monkey designed to appear as though it was smoking. Such charming creations captivated the public and helped normalize mechanical animals as objects of entertainment, paving the way for modern robotic toys.

By the mid-20th century, animal-inspired mechanical devices began shifting from household curiosities to scientific tools. Some of the earliest autonomous robots showing animal-like behaviours emerged around this time. Neurophysiologist William Grey Walter built two famed “tortoises,” named Elmer and Elsie, between 1948 and 1949 while studying the workings of the brain. Using simple artificial neural circuits, these robots were able to seek out light, avoid obstacles, and in Elsie’s case, navigate back to her charging station when her battery was low. Their slow, turtle-like appearance inspired their nickname. Elmer and Elsie are often considered precursors to modern autonomous robots and were displayed at the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Animal biology continues to strongly influence robotics research. Many contemporary robots mimic the movements or abilities of animals—a field known as biomimicry. These designs allow robots to travel through environments inaccessible to humans, benefiting fields such as disaster response and industrial work. Scientists also use animal-inspired machines to explore biological evolution. For example, the winged robot DASH has been used to support theories that flight evolved from gliding tree-dwelling creatures rather than ground-running ones.

The 1990s and early 2000s saw an explosion of robotic and virtual pets, from robot dogs to Furbies to animatronic dinosaurs. One of the most iconic of these was the Tamagotchi, launched in 1996. More than 82 million units have been sold since. Despite its simple pixel graphics and unpausable gameplay, the Tamagotchi encouraged a strong sense of emotional attachment and responsibility among users—some even held mock funerals for their virtual pets instead of resetting the device. Marketed largely to girls, the toy capitalized on themes of care and nurturing while showing how deeply people could bond with digital creatures. Although not a robot in the mechanical sense, it continued the long tradition of blurring the line between artificial and living animals.

This popularity helped fuel the next generation of robotic toy pets. Some of these early creations, like the Furby, remain widely recognized today—though updated with modern technology. Manufacturers have kept expanding the concept, adapting it for contemporary smart-toy design.

In 2016, Fisher-Price released the Smart Toy Bear, a plush toy that used machine learning and voice recognition to interact with children and remember personal details. While innovative, it raised concerns about data security after a vulnerability was discovered in the connected mobile app. Although the company reported that no data had been stolen and resolved the issue, the incident highlighted privacy challenges associated with smart toys—risks that traditional mechanical automata never faced.

Robotic pets have also proved valuable in healthcare settings. Companies like Joy for All produce robotic cats and dogs used to support elderly individuals, particularly those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These companions help reduce anxiety, loneliness and medication use. Their effectiveness reflects humans’ natural tendency to anthropomorphize—projecting emotions and human qualities onto nonliving creatures—which strengthens emotional bonds.

Throughout history, people have shown a deep desire to recreate, understand or emulate the animal world through mechanical means. Whether as spectacles, technological milestones, scientific tools or comforting companions, robotic and automaton animals have held a consistent presence in human culture. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that mechanical, robotic and virtual animals will remain integral to society for many years to come.

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