By David Manners 13th September 2022
61 years ago this was a picture from Electronics Weekly’s edition of January 25th 1961.
Robotug was a mobile automatic transport truck (TT), created by EMI. This device is able to carry a cargo directly or a set of the trolleys.
In automatic mode, TT is controlled the electromagnetic field formed by a conductor of AC. Conductor is placed along the route of movement on the floor.
IIRC 3M had similar “robots” in their Gorseinon mag tape factory.
It didn’t stop it closing after a mere 70 years.
Though the mag tape part closed 25 or more years ago.
There was a lot of publicity about them using similar “robots” in the futuristic Wills cigarette factory which opened in Hartcliffe in 1974. I’m not sure if they made it into the Doctor Who story filmed there in 1977.
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Ruminations on the electronics industry from David Manners, of Electronics Weekly.
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