Eric the Robot

Imagine a robot from a long, long time ago, even before your parents were born! That's Eric. He was built way back in 1928. Eric was special because he was the first robot ever made in Britain. He looked like a person, made of metal, and he was built to do something very important: open a big show for people who loved making models. He even stood up and gave a speech!

Eric wasn't like the robots you see in movies that zoom around. He was operated by two people hidden inside or nearby! They controlled what he did. His voice came through a radio signal, like magic! Eric could stand and sit, but his legs didn't work, so he couldn't walk. He was like a very fancy puppet that could talk, but needed help to move.

After opening the show in London, Eric went on a trip all the way to America! In New York, he introduced himself as 'Eric the robot, the man without a soul.' The people there thought he was amazing and called him 'the perfect man'! It's like if a toy you loved suddenly came to life and went on a world tour.

After his exciting trip, Eric disappeared. Nobody knows for sure what happened to him. Did he get taken apart for his parts, like a broken toy? Or maybe he was lost somewhere? Scientists later worked hard to build a new Eric, using old pictures, so we can still see him today in a museum!