A Tiny Piece of Robotic Toy History and the Future

 

Toy Robots have been around for generations. For centuries people have been experimenting with gears and cogs to create human-like gadgets that could perform a basic task. But in terms of toy robots that were specifically designed for play by children. The boom of this industry did not occur until the 1950s. After the second world war, Japan, in a desperate need to revitalize its economy, invested heavily into toy production and the growing sci-fi fascination with robots. 

 

The first-ever toy robot that was entirely made for commercial use seems to be agreed on to be a wind-up 1940s robot named Lilliput. It features a bright yellow body with boxy human proportions where its facial features are reminiscent of our own. It is a gateway step between an automaton and a robot. 

 

With the rise of the space race came the wonderment of millions of children what the world's possibilities could be. In terms of western engagement for the increase in popularity of toy robots, one of the key players was that of the robot from the 1956 sci-fi classic Forbbiden planet where Robby the robot made his grand debut and jump-started a love for robotic toys that is still a popular trend to this very day. 

Robby, at least for western culture, helps create a physical interpretation for what could be our future. Mechanized Robot or Robby because the toy company Nomura did not want to purchase the licensing for his name. Robby, what a battery-operated toy that could walk and have moving headpieces. He wasn't able to speak, but he was the early peak for tin robotic toys. For many of these toy robots, we can see how during the 1950s and 1960s, most robots followed a similar pattern of attempting to take on humanistic traits while still being completely alien. All generally had some sort of humanistic shape, whether it being two hands and legs. Two robotic eyes that are void of life. These robots from this time period reflect on a continuous desire for exploring the unknown while also maintaining some form of consistency. It is the most prominent reminder that all of these toys are something of imitating humanity. While they all have similar features, they are jagged and stiff and can easily be operated by a child. 

Even today, there still are not major famous robot toys that specifically try to mimic a human. The fear of the uncanny is a powerful thing, and we still desire for our robotic toys to hold at least some difference from us. However, In terms of robotic toys that mimic other animals/ or creatures, that seem to be a whole different ballpark. An article written by Sherry Turkle had her research kids and their attachments to Furbys in the early 2000s where the kids described the Furbys to be somewhat alive "n my preliminary research on children and Furbies, I have found that children describe these new toys as "sort of alive" because of the quality of their emotional attachments to the Furbies and because of their fantasies about the idea that the Furby might be emotionally attached to them" (Turkle). Overall, it seems to be very similar for a lot of these robotic toys where if the toy is programmed in the way of having some kind of will and the user then forms an attachment to the toy. The question is no longer if we control the toy, but how can we make sure that it is used for good. The future will head towards increased use of robotic toys to help form emotional connections and therapeutic engagements. Paro, the seal, is an excellent example of this, with it seemingly providing a wide range of benefits for both children and the elderly. Dr. Jean-Loup Rault discussed this in a 2015 interview where stated, "Robots can, without a doubt, trigger human emotions; if artificial pets can produce the same benefits we get from live pets, does that mean that our emotional bond with animals is really just an image that we project on to our pets?" so if we have come to the point where we may start to adopt robotic pets over living in only the span of only a few decades. Who is to say how long we have before we begin to adopt robots as equals to humans?

References

http://www.parorobots.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_FpDyMcxJA

https://www.vintagerobottoys.com/nomura-japanese-tin-toy-robots-sale/

https://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/story/101.html

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150511125221.htm