#auction #robot #cygan Christies’ Out of the Ordinary sale at its London auction rooms on 5 September will include Cygan, a giant robot made in 1957. Created in the year that the Sputnik satellite was launched into space, the 8ft robot is expected to sell for between £6,000 and £8,000.
Designed by Dr Ing Fiorito, an aero-modeller from Turin, Cygan could walk forwards or backwards, turn right or left, and lift or carry items. It was regarded as an extremely advanced model for the time, with a capacity to accept spoken commands and signals and respond to light rays.
Not only could it raise its arms from a resting position in just three 3sec, but it could shift its weight of 1,000lb at a rate of 10ft/min.
Cygan was first presented at the Milan Sample Fair in 1957 and then travelled to London Olympia in 1958. It carried on being exhibited until well into the 1970s, but it is now said to be in need of some “love and affection.”
In its heyday, it ran for up to 4.5hr on a 28V battery, and its original mechanism included 170 radio valves and over 20 relays. The auction will be preceded by a five-week public exhibition of the items for sale (from 5 August).