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So begins an interesting article found in a scan of a fairly old copy of Popular Mechanics; in this article, you quickly learn that the science and art of "Giant Robots" is much older than you think...

Giant robots have been in the popular imagination a long time, but did you know there was a man building them - in the 1960s?!

His name was Ralph Mosher; you may have heard of him. He worked for General Electric, and developed several interesting machines during the 1960s that, but for the lack of small and easily available computing power, failed to do anything more than act as prototypes and inspiration for future inventors and robot designers. You may have heard of some of their names:

• The Hardiman Exoskeleton
• The GE Walking Truck
• Handyman

Here's one, though, that I hadn't seen until today; a prototype of prototypes, of sorts: The Pedipulator (new window)

An 18-foot tall device, apparently to explore whether a man could balance a large-scale robot...

Mosher used the "portable" high-technology of his day; hydraulics, servomechanisms, and syncro motors. He built exoskeletons and waldo control units. Sadly, much of his pioneering work in these fields has all but faded into history. So click the link above (courtesy of Google Books), and enjoy the future past!