1987 Patent For Pal / H.e.n.r.i. 8 Robot

[robothut]

Patent applied for in 1987, this looks alot like the robot used in the TV show from 1987 called The Wizard that stared a robot called H.E.N.R.I. 8 in the season 1 episode 19 "the last show" 3-14-1987 on CBS. Many say this was the influence for the Johnny 5 robot design. The inventor is listed as Douglas Trumbull . Here is a link to fan web site .

http://www.thewizardtvfansite.com/henri_vi..._viii_index.htm

[milwaukeemachineman]

Please correct me if I am wrong but wasn't this the PAL robot made by Eric Allard which was made before Johnny 5

I may not know the exact date when it was made but it was before 1987 that is on Eric's site called:

Alleffects.com

I'll get the info and re-post

mmm

[robothut]

Yes I had been told that as well but the Patent can not lie, it was designed by Douglas Trumbull not Erric and this is the robot that was used in the TV show. Now it would have been built before 1987 for sure and very few TV shows have a budget for a robot prop so they always just borrow a prop that has already been built. So Did Erric A. build the robot for Douglas T. and it just happened to get used on the TV show? Hard to say. In any rate it was made I am sure before Johnny 5 thats why in my first post I say that it inspired the Johnny 5 design.

[milwaukeemachineman]

Eric Allard did indeed build the PAL robot which was changed and Re-designed to the HENRI VIII robot for D. Trumbull.

Yes, it was before Johnny 5 but the design for Johnny 5 came from the Concept drawing from Syd Mead and since Eric had already built the PAL or HENRI he was chosen by John Badham the Director of Short Circuit to build the robots used in the movies SC & SC2

Here is the concept drawing from Syd Mead:

So which is closer?