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Grey Walter's Festival of Britain Tortoise Replicas
  • Amy in 2008
  • Amy and Ninja in 2009
  • Millennium 'look-alike' Tortoise in 2009
  • AMY in 2008

    I had been in Bristol taking part in the 'Walking with Robots' Public Engagement Workshop where I met Professor Alan Winfield (who had his photograph taken with my robots - see 'My Robot Outings') and he invited me to see the Bristol Robotics Lab and examine the Grey Walter Festival of Britain replica Tortoises. So on the 21st February 2008, the day after the workshop ended I visited the lab., was shown round by Ian Horsfield the chief technician and took these photographs of 'AMY'.
    The wheel gearing is on AMY's LHS whereas it is on the RHS of NINJA and the 1951 #6 so I suspect that at some time the P.E.C holder has come loose on the shaft and the front forks have been turned back to front when the P.E.C. holder was reclamped.

    The other Tortoise 'NINJA' was in use somewhere but is almost identical except the Shell is not cracked and above the front light bulb there are three resistors whereas AMY only has one.


    The long copper pipe. looking something like a tail. is an extension to the lever of the On/Off switch
    so it can be operated without removing the Shell.


    The thickness of 9v batteries has increased over the years, so, obviously, now five high power 9v batteries will no longer fit side by side in Amy's holder,
    Ninja is the same - see the 2009 pictures.


    Here on each side you can see the black shrouds covering the two 'brain' valves.
    These have no light grids and can't be substituted for the 'eye' shroud.


    In the centre the brass plate is the adjustable contact for the Shell sensor.
    The brass rod in the centre hole is the shell support,
    the other end of the rod is mounted in rubber and supports the "H" Shell bracket.


    The Terry-clips are to hold the photo-electric sensor when the tortoise is being transported.


    The tape rule case is 55mm.


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