White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-07-23
Machines That Are
Almost Human
By e. c.TAYLoR
The Robot Waterman

The Robot Waterman
IN WASHINGTON, D. c., the Ma
tional Capital, is machine that Is
Rwe-inspiring in it's ability to do the
work of human being.
The War department has charge OF
the water supply of the city, and when
new water-supply system was built
there recently, robot was invented
to serve as guardian and Waterman at
each Of the three reservoirs of the
city.
This robot Waterman answers the
telephone when called in the ordinaryo
way, and when asked the depth of the
water, promptly informs his superior
officer just how much water there is
in the reservoir. Three Of these robots
are in constant use, one at each res
ervoir.
The engineer official in charge Of
the Capitals water system calls one of
these robots on the telephone. He
calls central in the usual way, and is,
connected with the robots telephone
number. The robot stands on constant
duty. 1t Is just another telephone
call.
When the telephone bell rings at the,
reservoir, it Is the first signal to the
robot. The robot lifts the telephone
receiver enough to signal the operator
and answer, and then speaks into the
telephone transmitter. 1t could speak
words, but these robots do their talk
ing by means Of buzzer sounds. The.
buzzer gives the official code signal
which notifies him that he is connect
ed with the robot.
On the top Of the box small mega
phone aimed directly at telephone
transmitter. On the front Of the box
are three push buttons.
The official presses the first button
It starts an electric tuning fork vi
brating. In front Of the robots tele-
phone is another megaphone or loud
speaker aimed at the iron watchman's
electric ear of audion tubes and mi
crophone diaphragms connected so as
to operate series of switches.
On receiving the first series Of sig
nails, the robot reports back to prevent
error. The official, receiving the prop
er signal, knows that he Is connected
with the robot Waterman.
Then he presses the second button,
which sounds the tuning fork at
higher note. The robots ear detects
the difference and the iron Waterman
promptly brings into play more me-
chanisn.
The depth of the water is Indicated
by floats placed at one-foot intervals
up the side Of the reservoir. The ro-
bot sounds series Of musical notes.
seven, eight. nine, as the case may
be, that inform the official the depth
Of the water in feet.
When the official receives this infor-
nation he presses the third button
which starts the tuning fork vibrating
at a still higher pitch. This says
"good-by" to the robot Waterman
The robot drops the receiver and dis
connects.
Here is a mechanical manor rath-
er three Of them-doing the work Of
human beings. And they are always
on the job. When the telephone rings,
they are prompt to answer it and they
always give accurate information as
to the city's water supply. The Off
Gals in charge know, too, that they
can call up their robot Waterman at
busy.
The robots telephone numbers are
regularly listed numbers, although
they do not appear in the capital tele-
phone directory. So, Of course, these
numbers are frequently called by mis-
take.
When these robots are called as q
wrong number" by some one wanting
the butcher, grocer, or husband, the
robots answer as usual, but after
few seconds they hang up again. They
have not received the proper signal
from their superior officer and know
the call was not meant for them.
These remarkable robots we're built
by r. j. Wensley. inventor Of one of
the mechanical n i with which scien-
fists have amused themselves.
They are operated, just as the robot
men are operated, by a voice from q
distance. The faint electric impulse
created by the sound waves on deli
cate mechanism affect an electro-mag-
net which releases energies that per-
form the tasks of the robot Waterman.
"a. 1881. Western Newspaper Unionl
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