Creepy 80-Year-Old Japanese Robot Brought Back to Life

Gakutensoku is Asia’s oldest modern robot, built in 1928 for the ascension of the Emperor Showa (aka Hirohito). Twice as tall as the emperor at 10 feet, 6 inches, it could tilt its head, blink, smile and puff up its chest and cheeks with a system of inflatable rubber tubes. Long lost in Germany before returning to Osaka, it’s been restored and brought back to life with a US$200,000 computer-controlled pneumatic servo system. But it definitely still moves like an 80 year old—very slowly. Check out the video of it in motion below, it’s like a robot from “It’s a Small World,” but even more uncanny and creepier.

[Pink Tentacle, Asahi]