Real ones fucked with Armatron
March 15, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Real ones fucked with Armatron
Gotta love the early 80's marketing of the Super Armatron!
May 28, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Gotta love the early 80's marketing of the Super Armatron!
One of my favorite side projects this year was my story for @technologyreview.com about the history of the Armatron robotic toy. I had one as a kid, and it is a miracle of mechanical engineering. I got to interview its inventor, retired toy designer Hiroyuki Watanabe.
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics
The tasks taken on by the Armatron aren’t so different from the ones AI is tackling today.
ter.li
December 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
One of my favorite side projects this year was my story for @technologyreview.com about the history of the Armatron robotic toy. I had one as a kid, and it is a miracle of mechanical engineering. I got to interview its inventor, retired toy designer Hiroyuki Watanabe.
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
Hi! I'm writing a freelance story for a national magazine about the Armatron robotic arm toy sold in Radio Shack (1984) — one of my favorite toys from my childhood.
I'm looking to speak with any robotics engineers who had their careers inspired by this toy! Email: jonkeegan@gmail.com
Thank you!
I'm looking to speak with any robotics engineers who had their careers inspired by this toy! Email: jonkeegan@gmail.com
Thank you!
January 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Hi! I'm writing a freelance story for a national magazine about the Armatron robotic arm toy sold in Radio Shack (1984) — one of my favorite toys from my childhood.
I'm looking to speak with any robotics engineers who had their careers inspired by this toy! Email: jonkeegan@gmail.com
Thank you!
I'm looking to speak with any robotics engineers who had their careers inspired by this toy! Email: jonkeegan@gmail.com
Thank you!
Post a robot that's not from Star Wars or Transformers.
August 17, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Post a robot that's not from Star Wars or Transformers.
No thanks Apple, I already have a tabletop robotic arm
August 14, 2024 at 9:36 PM
No thanks Apple, I already have a tabletop robotic arm
For #Septandy I tracked down an old Radio Shack Armatron 🤖
One of my favorite 80s memories. And yes, I had to repair it before I could play!
🎥 New video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG65...
One of my favorite 80s memories. And yes, I had to repair it before I could play!
🎥 New video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG65...
Radio Shack Armatron: My #Septandy Robot Arm Adventure
YouTube video by Jamie's Hack Shack
www.youtube.com
September 20, 2025 at 1:35 AM
For #Septandy I tracked down an old Radio Shack Armatron 🤖
One of my favorite 80s memories. And yes, I had to repair it before I could play!
🎥 New video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG65...
One of my favorite 80s memories. And yes, I had to repair it before I could play!
🎥 New video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG65...
Every bit of this project was an absolute delight. From researching the patent drawings, reaching out to Takara Tomy to try and find Wantanabe-san, and collaborating with photographer Jim Golden on the deconstructed Armatron shoot...I loved it all. ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
December 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Every bit of this project was an absolute delight. From researching the patent drawings, reaching out to Takara Tomy to try and find Wantanabe-san, and collaborating with photographer Jim Golden on the deconstructed Armatron shoot...I loved it all. ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
I got one of these AND an Armatron on the same birthday, and didn’t even know I was living the dream.
September 21, 2026 at 11:42 PM
I got one of these AND an Armatron on the same birthday, and didn’t even know I was living the dream.
RADIO SHACK: 1981 ARMATRON Mechanical Robot Arm
July 15, 2026 at 1:49 AM
RADIO SHACK: 1981 ARMATRON Mechanical Robot Arm
I love using this toy!
February 11, 2026 at 3:21 AM
I love using this toy!
Armatron toy automation arm by Tomy (1984)
December 15, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Armatron toy automation arm by Tomy (1984)
I am SO excited to share this. I for MIT Technology Review. I wrote about the amazing TOMY ARMATRON toy robot arm. I interviewed Hiroyuki Watanabe, the 69-year-old lead inventor of the Armatron. Released in 1981, the Armatron is a miracle of mechanical engineering.
(Gift link) ter.li/JKeegan
(Gift link) ter.li/JKeegan
How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics
The tasks taken on by the Armatron aren’t so different from the ones AI is tackling today.
ter.li
April 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I am SO excited to share this. I for MIT Technology Review. I wrote about the amazing TOMY ARMATRON toy robot arm. I interviewed Hiroyuki Watanabe, the 69-year-old lead inventor of the Armatron. Released in 1981, the Armatron is a miracle of mechanical engineering.
(Gift link) ter.li/JKeegan
(Gift link) ter.li/JKeegan
Really proud of how this story came out, and to top it all off I was SO honored to be asked by the Smithsonian Museum of American History to donate both the Armatron we used for the photo shoot, and my personal one from my childhood to their collection.
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics
The tasks taken on by the Armatron aren’t so different from the ones AI is tackling today.
ter.li
December 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Really proud of how this story came out, and to top it all off I was SO honored to be asked by the Smithsonian Museum of American History to donate both the Armatron we used for the photo shoot, and my personal one from my childhood to their collection.
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
ter.li/JKeegan (gift link)
Ahem. He’s RIGHT HERE next to the Armatron and he can hear EVERYTHING you’re saying
August 15, 2024 at 2:47 AM
Ahem. He’s RIGHT HERE next to the Armatron and he can hear EVERYTHING you’re saying
It’s not very hard to draw connections between the Armatron—an impossibly analog robot—and highly advanced machines that are today learning to move in incredible new ways, powered by AI advancements like computer vision and reinforcement learning.
How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics
The tasks taken on by the Armatron aren’t so different from the ones AI is tackling today.
www.technologyreview.com
April 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
It’s not very hard to draw connections between the Armatron—an impossibly analog robot—and highly advanced machines that are today learning to move in incredible new ways, powered by AI advancements like computer vision and reinforcement learning.
I was too distracted by the Armatron on top of the TV to notice. That and I was never a fan of the game.
December 1, 2025 at 6:00 PM
I was too distracted by the Armatron on top of the TV to notice. That and I was never a fan of the game.
I did my alt text the best I could on this one.
How does one begin to describe something like Armatron.
How does one begin to describe something like Armatron.
March 15, 2026 at 5:10 PM
I did my alt text the best I could on this one.
How does one begin to describe something like Armatron.
How does one begin to describe something like Armatron.
Because of an impulse buy at a thrift shop, we now have a broken RadioShack Armatron and I’m trying to figure out if I’m the kind of person who is going to watch this video and learn how to repair it m.youtube.com/watch?v=mRAP...
From teardown to triumph: Restoring the Radio Shack Armatron toy!
YouTube video by Randi Rain
m.youtube.com
June 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Because of an impulse buy at a thrift shop, we now have a broken RadioShack Armatron and I’m trying to figure out if I’m the kind of person who is going to watch this video and learn how to repair it m.youtube.com/watch?v=mRAP...
I had so much fun writing this piece. If you walked into a Radio Shack in the early 80's you probably recognize the Armatron!
It’s not very hard to draw connections between the Armatron—an impossibly analog robot—and highly advanced machines that are today learning to move in incredible new ways, powered by AI advancements like computer vision and reinforcement learning.
How a 1980s toy robot arm inspired modern robotics
The tasks taken on by the Armatron aren’t so different from the ones AI is tackling today.
www.technologyreview.com
April 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I had so much fun writing this piece. If you walked into a Radio Shack in the early 80's you probably recognize the Armatron!
i miss my armatron
August 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM
i miss my armatron