Matt Burgess
Science

Gallery: Rebuilding Eric, the UK's first robot

Eric will be on display at the Science Museum from October 20 to November 16

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

  • Image may contain Helmet Clothing Apparel Machine Vehicle Transportation Bicycle Bike Spoke Wheel and Wood
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    01
    Eric, the UK's oldest robot, has been rebuilt in South London by artist Giles Walker
  • Image may contain Machine Coil Rotor Spiral Architecture Building Factory Person and Manufacturing
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    02
    The robot has been significantly upgraded compared to his 1928 predecessor
  • Image may contain Text Newspaper Human and Person
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    03
    He was rebuilt from just a handful of original newspaper cuttings and video clips
  • Image may contain Aluminium
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    04
    The robot is due to go on display at the Science Museum in October
  • Image may contain Lighting Clothing Hardhat and Helmet
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    05
    Walker has tried to give the robot the same look and feel as the original creation
  • Image may contain Machine
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    06
    This same look includes using the original specifications and materials. Aluminum is used for the outer shell of the robot
  • Image may contain Architecture Building Factory Box Person Manufacturing and Machine
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    07
    Eric is capable of standing up from a sitting down position, when finished he will sit on a wooden box
  • Image may contain Electronics Computer Hardware and Wiring
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    08
    The writing inside the robot allows it to move, originally a system of gears and pulleys would have given Eric the ability to move
  • Image may contain Machine Computer Hardware Electronics Hardware Architecture Building and Factory
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    09
    The wiring and power input power seven 12 volt linear actuators that allow Eric to move
  • Image may contain Clothing Hat Architecture Building Factory Adult Person Worker Manufacturing Helmet and Hardhat
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    10
    Walker has added elbows to the robot, allowing him to move in a slightly different way to the original
  • Image may contain Machine Electronics Computer Laptop Pc Computer Keyboard Keyboard Computer Hardware and Hardware
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    11
    Overall, Eric has taken three months to recreate
  • Image may contain Architecture Building and Factory
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    12
    He is controlled with a pre-programmed computer code, which is similar to the software used to control lighting in theatres
  • Image may contain Indoors Architecture Building Factory Device Power Drill Tool Basement Room and Box
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    13
    Once complete, Eric will be on display at the Science Museum, be part of a 2017 exhibition and go on a tour around the world
  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Bicycle Bike Wood Tripod Interior Design Indoors Machine and Plywood
    WIRED / Matt Burgess
    14
    Inside the robot are a number of speakers that let it emit sound
Matt Burgess is a senior writer at WIRED focused on information security, privacy, and data regulation in Europe. He graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in journalism and now lives in London. Send tips to [email protected]. ... Read More
Senior writer
Topicsrobots
Read More
The Most Promising Ebola Vaccine Has Been Sitting on the Shelf for 15 Years
Years after initial tests, researchers are now racing to see if a vaccine developed in 2011 can help fight the current Bundibugyo outbreak in Congo.
Isabella Ward
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)
We break down the current iPad lineup to help you figure out which of Apple’s tablets is best for you.
Luke Larsen
The Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems for Networking Nirvana
Forget about patchy internet connections and dead spots in the house. These WIRED-tested multiroom mesh systems will get you online in no time.
Simon Hill
The Best Art TVs
Even after your movies end, these art televisions look stunning on any wall.
John Brandon
Gen Z Singles Are Trying to Make ‘Solomaxxing’ Aspirational
For young people, the trend removes the stigma of being unmarried and alone, and recasts it as something to aim for, not avoid.
Jason Parham
Try One of macOS 27’s Best Features Right Now
Apple’s fall macOS release will let you build Shortcuts by typing what you want to happen. But Claude Code and Codex users don’t have to wait.
Justin Pot
Pump.Fun’s Bounties Platform Is a Black Hole of Circular Grifting
The crypto platform claims you can “pay anyone to do anything,” from quitting a job on camera to getting a memecoin-themed tattoo. But it mostly seems like people trying to scam each other.
Miles Klee
The Best Activity and Fitness Trackers
Find the right wearable for your lifestyle, workouts, and goals.
Boutayna Chokrane
This World Cup, Bigger Might Not Really Be Better
The biggest World Cup ever is pushing fans, players, and host cities to their limits—and experts say this is only the beginning.
Chris Hamill-Stewart
An Open Strait of Hormuz Won’t Fix Gas Prices Overnight
Even if peace holds up between the US and Iran, oil prices aren’t going back down to where they were any time soon.
Aarian Marshall
Prediction Market Philosophers Got What They Wanted. They’re Not Happy About It
Getting the future right is now big business. But at a festival in Berkeley, forecasters worry that sports markets could take the whole industry down.
Brian Kahn
Canada Missed Chances to Inspect OceanGate’s Titan Before Fatal Implosion
A new report shows that government agencies failed to communicate and includes recommendations for stronger oversight in a bid to avert future disasters.
Mark Harris