I saw this ancient Topo robot at Pacific Science Center. I remember this image from being a child in the ’80s. I never learned anything about it, but occasionally I encountered the its image, such that it was burned into my memory. Seeing one in real life, albeit through the glass of some office reminded me of that fascination.
Topo was a $1500 toy, in 2024 dollars. Reading about its capabilities, I learned was barely more functional than a programmable remote control car.
- With no sensors, Topo could not make decisions based on environmental feedback.
- They relied on an Apple II computer for programming and control via radio or infrared transmitter, but could not communicate any information back to the computer.
- Its motors could not calibrated to ensure accurate task performance.
- They could not operate autonomously, relying entirely on pre-programmed instructions without real-time adjustments.
- There was no feedback control to correct errors during task execution due to the lack of sensor input and motor calibration.
- They did not have interactivity features beyond simple geometric movements and text-to-speech in later versions.
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