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Show Machines That Are'l U Almost Human p S By E. C. T AYLOrL3 The Robot Watchman TN WASHINGTON, D. C, the Na-i Na-i tlonal Capital, is a machine that is awe-inspiring in its ability to do the work of a humaa being. The War department has charge of the water supply of the city, and when a new water-supply system was built there recently, a robot was invented to serve as guardian and watchman at each of the three reservoirs of the city. This robot watchman answers the telephone when called In the ordinary way, and when asked the depth of the water, promptly informs his superior officer just how much water there is in the reservoir. Three of these robots are in constant use, one at each reservoir. res-ervoir. The engineer official in charge of the Capital's water system calls one of these robots on the telephone. He calls central in the usual way, and is connected with the robot's telephone number. The robot stands on constant duty. It is just another telephone call". When the telephone bell rings at the reservoir, it is the first signal to the robot. The robot lifts the telephone receiver enough to signal the operator and answer, and then speaks Into the telephone transmitter. It could speak words, but these robots do their talking talk-ing by means of buzzer sounds. The buzzer gives the official a code signal which notifies him that he Is connected connect-ed with the robot. On the official's desk is a small box. On the top of the box a small megaphone mega-phone aimed directly at a telephone transmitter. On the front of the box are three push buttons. The official presses the first button. It starts an electric tuning fork vibrating. vi-brating. In front of the robot's telephone tele-phone is another megaphone or loud speaker aimed at the iron watchman's electric ear of audion tubes and microphone mi-crophone diaphragms connected so as to operate a series of switches. On receiving the first series of signals, sig-nals, the robot reports back to prevent error. The official, receiving the proper prop-er signal, knows that he Is connected with the robot watchman. Then he presses the second button, which sounds the tuning fork at a higher note. The robot's ear detects the difference and the iron watchman promptly brings Into play more mechanism. me-chanism. The depth of the water Is Indicated by floats placed at one-foot intervals up the side of the reservoir. The robot ro-bot sounds a series of musical notes, seven, eight, nine, as the case may be, that Inform the official the depth of the water In feet. When the official receives this Information Infor-mation he presses the third button, which starts the tuning fork vibrating at a still higher pitch. This says "good-by" to the robot watchman. The robot drops the receiver and disconnects. dis-connects. Here is a mechanical man or rather rath-er three of them doing the work of human beings. And they are always on the job. When the telephone rings, they are prompt to answer It and they always give accurate Information as to the city's water supply. The officials offi-cials In charge know, too, that they can call up their robot watchman at any hour and the line will not be busy. The robots' telephone numbers nre regularly listed numbers, although they do not appear In the capital telephone tele-phone directory. So, of course, these numbers are frequently called by mistake. mis-take. When these robots are called as a "wrong number" by some one wanting the butcher, grocer, or husband, the robots answer as usual, but after a few seconds they hang up again. They have not received the proper signal from their superior officer and know the call was not meant for them. These remarkable robots were built by R. .1. Wensley, inventor of one of the mechanical men with which scientists scien-tists have amused themselves. They are operated, Just as the robot men are operated, by a voice from a distance. The faint electric Impulse created by the sound waves on delicate deli-cate mechanism affect an electro-mag. net which releases energies that perform per-form the tasks of the robot watchman. ((c). 1931. Western Newppnper Union.) |