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Gakutensoku

Osaka, Japan

Gakutensoku

Hiroki Ito via Google Maps

Originally created in 1928 by biologist Makoto Nishimura to celebrate the Showa Emperor's ascension, Gakutensoku was a pioneering mechanical wonder capable of blinking, smiling, and writing calligraphy. Though the original golden automaton was mysteriously lost while touring Germany in the 1930s, a magnificent, larger-than-life recreation now commands the Osaka Science Museum. Powered by modern computer-controlled pneumatics, the towering figure faithfully performs its vintage gestures with poetic grace. It offers tech enthusiasts and history buffs a mesmerizing glimpse into the very dawn of Japanese robotics.

  • Robots
  • Automata
  • Science & Technology
  • Museum Exhibits
  • History

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