Hugo Gernsback’s Radio Police Automaton – Science and Invention magazine, May 1924
AS is well known, radio can be used today to produce mechanical effects at a distance. This new art is known as radio-telemechanics. Many years ago already it was possible to start and operate vehicles and machinery entirely by radio. The United States Navy a little over a year ago operated the warship “Iowa” entirely by radio. The firing of the boilers, the steering of the ship and all the controls were entirely effected by radio.
The Automaton is kept erect by the stabilizing gyroscopes. The machine does not really walk like a human being, but rather glides along the road over all obstacles by the small caterpiller tractors attached to the feet. This makes it unnecessary for the Automaton to take steps, and the machine will therefore progress by a gliding motion which is quite rapid.
Stabilizing Gyroscopes and Caterpillar Treads
Such a machine would seem to be exceedingly valuable to disperse mobs, or for war purposes and even for industrial purposes. In the upper illustration is shown the police car which controls all the movements of a regiment of such automata.
Radio Control Car and The Thin Automaton Line
For fighting mobs use is made of tear gas which is stored in a tank under pressure and which alone will quickly disperse a mob if necessary.
Tear Gas Tank and Outlets
The arms are provided with rotating discs which carry lead balls on flexible leads. These act as police clubs in action.
Rotating discs which carry lead balls on flexible leads.
For night attack the Automaton is provided with eye-lights and the loud speaker is used to shout orders to the mob which orders can be given direct from the radio control car. Inasmuch as this car is always in the rear of the Automata it can watch their movements and direct them as necessitated by circumstances.
Eye Lights, Loud Speaker, and ‘Telegraphone’
As a close hand-to-hand lighting machine the Radio- Automata have no equal. Bullets do not affect them and if equipped with a twenty to forty H.P. engine, they will be well nigh irresistible. They probably have no superior for fighting mobs or for war purposes.
The Radio Police Automation – Run for your lives!
Atomic Flash Deluxe 
Impressive piece of machinery. I wonder if it was developed
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I don’t think that a robocop in this configuration has been created – not even in a concept model. But, the military do have these already: The Assault TALON:
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Looks less scary than the other. I’d rather surrender myself to the tank-like than the automaton. I cant imagine how it was going to catch me. BTW, I’m not a criminal, I was just thinking about…
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The thought of you being a criminal never crossed my mind *heh!*
I don’t think the automaton’s purpose is really to ‘catch’ someone – it seems to be a dispersion device. Break up crowds and clear an area – that sort of thing. If it tramples anyone that’s just an unintended consequence. 😉
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Talk about gratuitous violence. I know a few police departments here in the U.S. that’d absolutely love do get their hands on one of these.
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Weirdly enough, I believe that somewhere down the line something like this will become a reality.
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Especially since it comes with deniability. All… *ahem*… unfortunate incidents can be blamed on the robot.
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Goddamn, that got dark quickly
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These sort of inventions lead to that, I guess. It’s kind of just taking the thought about it one step further. In Gernsback’s day inventors did a lot of creating without thinking a lot of it through. They left that to the sci-fi/horror writers instead. 🤔
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So we had those horror films with sci-fi characters that currently, no longer scare a baby.
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