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Grey Walter's Festival of Britain Tortoise Replicas
  • Amy in 2008
  • Amy and Ninja in 2009
  • Millennium 'look-alike' Tortoise in 2009
  • AMY and NINJA in 2009

    As part of our round Europe trip researching old robots, Reuben Hoggett and myself, on 20th May 2009, visited the Bristol Robotics Lab. where, to see how they worked, we played with Amy and Ninja in their Arena and took these photographs.

    The wheel gearing is on Amy's LHS whereas it is on the RHS of Ninja and the 1951 #6, so I suspect that at some time Amy's P.E.C holder has come loose on the shaft and the front forks have been turned back to front when the P.E.C. holder was reclamped. Somebody has probably been mystified by the difference in the two Tortoises and written 'EYE' on the front of Amy's yoke in an attempt to ensure the P.E.C shroud is put on the right way round. Even so when Amy was demonstrated in 2014 at the Frenchay hospital the shroud was on back to front and she failed to work.

    Amy and Ninja are almost identical except Ninja's Shell is not cracked and above the front light bulb there are three resistors whereas AMY only has one. Ninja has two fuses on the bottom Tufnol plate whereas Amy appears to have none.

    One design difference can be seen in the videos, Amy scans clockwise and Ninja scans anti-clockwise.

    Photographs by David Buckley and Reuben Hoggett below

    David Buckley

    Amy




     

    Ninja




    The thickness of 9v batteries has increased over the years, so, obviously, now five high power 9v batteries will no longer fit side by side in Ninja's holder,
    Amy is the same - see the 2008 pictures.




    Amy and Ninja in the arena

    Reuben Hoggett


    Ninja


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