putnik. Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast. The dread of a Red Menace. I, Robot. Images of an ominous threat from above filled the national consciousness during the 1950s. Mixed with the pessimistic scenarios of invasion by cruel, ruthless aliens and emotionless automata was the hope and promise of the domestic robot-–a tool for mankind to remove the arduous toil from daily lives, leaving people free to indulge in thought and philosophy. Yet with that hope came the fear that what mankind built would eventually enslave it, as serf-like robots rebelled against their human masters. Many science-fiction stories of the era shared these common themes.
Inseparable from the future-oriented zeitgeist of the time were the toys. Tin robots were numerous, and the promise was that by 2001 citizens would all own robots such as those which would do their every bidding. It is now 2001. Where are the robots? Those that do exist are sitting on factory floors, don’t exactly resemble Rosy from The Jetsons and aren’t making dinner for the family.
Rocket USA specializes in retro-style tin toys, including a line of robots designed to resemble or reproduce playthings from the 1950s. The R1 Robot is a Bump-N-Go Action toy, a common staple in the toy industry in past decades. The robot requires two AA batteries, and a switch on the metal underside sets it in motion.
Measuring nearly 13 inches tall, R1 is manufactured from shaped tin, painted gray with red highlights, and has panels of detail lithographed all over the body. Two arms swing freely as the robot moves around the floor, with flashing lights and quite a bit of noise. The claw-like hands can be manipulated to hold small objects. Its eyes and ears light up during the ruckus.
A retro tin-man's welcome return
Robot One, as R1 is also known, is a blast to watch. Give him a generous area of hardwood floor, flip his switch and stand back. Or, for that matter, don’t stand back. R1 relies
on obstacles to change course, and feet serve the purpose admirably. As do any other items which may be strewn around. Generating many decibels of boisterous noise, R1 flashes its eyes and ears and jerks around the floor like an Asimovian robot caught in a paradoxical set of circumstances, conflicted in its desire to follow the three laws of robotics.
Within his absolutely cubic head are several bright, flashing lights, which are filtered through plastic ears, eyes and holes which are punched into its face to form a mouth. The flashing is quite repetitive and doesn’t vary, whereas the course R1 takes throughout the room is anything but predictable.
While limited in its play variety and duration, the fun that can be had with such a haphazard toy is undeniable. R1 is not an artificial-intelligence robot, though at times his wild meanderings may accidentally simulate programming that learns as it goes. But any resemblance to order or planning is entirely coincidental.
R1 is not for everyone. With the detail and articulation in modern robot toys such as those available on shelves today, R1 may seem a bit dated and simplistic. Also, parents may wish to avoid giving this to children, opting instead for a drum set or an accordian, which would produce substantially less noise. However, for the connoisseurs and die-hard collectors of toys seeking to time-warp back to a simpler era, who don’t mind using ear plugs on occasion, R1 is a joyous addition to the pool. And it makes for an excellent conversation piece.
