An Android From the 1700s

It is amazing that this writer automaton was built 240 years ago and can simulate human handwriting. This is another example the we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Notice how much complexity it takes to create something we take for granted, the ability to write.

In an age of electronics, computers, and robots, these two centuries old mechanical creations don’t at all fail to put a smile on your face when seeing them operate today.

Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721–1790) was a Swiss-born watchmaker of the late eighteenth century. He lived in Paris, London, and Geneva, where he designed and built animated dolls, or automata, to help his firm sell watches and mechanical birds.

Constructed between 1768 and 1774 by Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis (1752-1791), and Jean-Frédéric Leschot (1746-1824) were The Writer (made of 6000 pieces), The Musician (2500 pieces), and The Draughtsman (2000 pieces).

His astonishing mechanisms fascinated the kings and emperors of Europe, China, India, and Japan.

Some consider these devices to be the oldest examples of the computer. The Writer has an input device to set tabs that form a programmable memory, 40 cams that represents the read-only program, and a quill pen for output. The work of Pierre Jaquet-Droz predates that of Charles Babbage by decades.

The automata of Jaquet-Droz are also considered to be some of the finest examples of human mechanical problem solving. Three particularly complex and still functional dolls, now known as the Jaquet-Droz automata, are housed at the art and history museum in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Clever business practices allowed Jaquet Droz to gain access to high families and royalty. I believe his first major audience was with the Spanish court and royal family. So impressed were they with his work that he was able to fund months (if not years) of work with their orders. Jaquet Droz knew that the perception of his skill and ability to impress was key to his success. In order to do this he would create wonderful performance pieces meant to add value to his more standard creations. This is where the androids came in.

Jaquet Droz was not the only one making them, but he probably created some of the more impressive machines. The idea was to wheel in a mechanical life-like puppet, impress a rich family, and have them order everything from pocket watches to elaborate table automata from him. This showmanship gained his company international prestige and acclaim. History seems to show that people even paid admission fees to see his automata in action.

The first of the three major android-style automata was the Writer and was created in 1774.