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Gygan by Senor Piero Fiorito of Milan

Gygan at the 35th Milan sample fair in 1957.
Jasia Reichardt, Robots: Fact, Fiction + Prediction, Thames & Hudson, 1978

Frames from Pathe News' GENTLE GIANT 20/10/1958 when Gygan was demonstrated at The British Food Fair at Olympia.
Frames 7,8,9 show Senor Fiorito making adjustments.
http://www.britishpathe.com/product_display.php?searchword=robot

I saw Gygan in about 1963, billed as Mr Moto, outside a Ford dealership in Leeds where it was used as a promotional attraction, it was not working and under repair with one foot taken off. The foot construction amazed me, it was a box of 1/2inch thick aluminium with a huge lead acid battery in the middle, I don't think there was ever any chance of Gygan falling over! Unfortunately I couldn't get near enough to see the motor and drive train.

It would appear from the Pathe News film that Radio Control Models & Electronics (RCM&E) have misnamed Gygan as Cygan and that is how I have known it until today (6 July 07) when I found the Pathe film; personally I much prefer Cygan as befitting 'a proud Englishman' (see text).
Cygan 1960


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