The Silver Swan

(YouTube link)
The Silver Swan is an automaton built in 1773. Now housed at the Bowes Museum, it finds and eats a fish every day at noon and 3PM.

The swan is life-size and is controlled by three separate clockwork mechanisms. The Silver Swan rests on a stream made of twisted glass rods interspersed with silver fish. When the mechanism is wound up, the glass rods rotate, the music begins, and the Swan twists its head to the left and right and appears to preen its back. It then appears to sight a fish in the water below and bends down to catch it, which it then swallows as the music stops and it resumes its upright position. This performance lasts approximately 40 seconds.

I wonder if the robots being built now will still work in 235 years. Link -via Metafilter

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Posted on

June 25, 2008 at 12:25 am by Miss Cellania
Category: Gadget, Video Clips

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9 comments to "The Silver Swan"

Blaphafas
June 25th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Whoa, now fishes have a steampunk way to die…
Chris Costello
June 25th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Robots being built today will not be working in 235 years because today’s smarter robot will have saved up enough for retirement, unlike its bird-brained predecessor.
SenorMysterioso
June 25th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I love automata, have always wanted an antique birdbox
RM
June 25th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Wow, who created this beauty?
ted
June 25th, 2008 at 5:48 am
This is interesting because it defies our concept of mechanical abilities 235 years ago. 235 years from now - if humans are still around - they’ll be sitting on piles of leftover mechanical and plastic garbage, and won’t be so interested in our 12-inch Japanese girlfriend robots.
Mr Blackett
June 25th, 2008 at 6:21 am
@RM - http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/collections/swan/

I live a few miles away from the Bowes Museum. I remember my parents taking me to see it when I was 9 or 10. I wasn’t impressed.
Moon
June 25th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I agree with Mr. Blackett. Meh.

LOL at Chris Costello!
Thomas
June 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
For the time period, that’s astonishing. We see so much stuff on the internet and on TV that we’re often desensitized to things that truly are incredible.
simon
June 25th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Otacon is calling at the end to describe the new MG

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