Sparko, the Westinghouse Robot Dog

This circa 1939 plan for a robotic dog on Mostly Forbidden Zone piqued my interest. I did a little digging and found an interesting story behind it. The Scottish Terrier, named Sparko, was designed by Westinghouse engineer, Joseph Barnett, to stimulate interest in their electrical products. The dog was the pet of a larger human-type robot named Elektro and was able to sit up, wag his tail and do various other dog tricks on command. Three Sparkos were made but none remain today.
The last confirmed sighting of Sparko was in California in 1957. The dogs were light-followers and legend has it that one of the three dogs was hit by a car and destroyed when it wandered out of an open door at the Westingouse lab.

http://liftlab.com/think/nova/2008/02/18/sparko-the-robotic-scottish-terrier/

Newest 2
Newest 2 Comments

My grandfather was an engineer at Westinghouse in the 30's and I think he worked on this project. I remember as a kid hearing him talking about a robot dog they'd built at work.

I'd entirely forgotten his story until seeing this post. He passed away in 1995 so there isn't any way to get more information about it.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.




Email This Post to a Friend
"Sparko, the Westinghouse Robot Dog"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More