Coin-Operated Arcade Game, Bird Brain
date: label: date made
content: ca 1975
name: label: maker
content: Animal Behavior Enterprises, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: The Bird Brain is a coin-operated arcade game, in which a player contends with a trained chicken and a microcomputer in a game of tic-tac-toe. The crate is made primarily of wood and metal, painted brown with yellow and gray streaks. The "Thinking Booth" is a plastic or glass (seems to be plastic but original sign says glass) window on the left through which the challenger could see the chicken. The interior was painted orange with a blue food and water compartment. The tic-tac-toe section is to the right of the chicken viewing area and seems to be made of brown plexiglass with yellow painted lines and embedded light bulbs. One door in the rear gives access to the chicken, another provides a way to reach the electronic components of the game. A metal box that accepts quarters for each challenge attaches to the front underneath the chicken. On the top, there are two holes to allow the BIRD BRAIN sign to be attached and a mesh brass-colored (most likely aluminum) screen to allow heat to escape from the electronic side. A small ventilation hole on top provided air for the chicken. A removable litter tray is at the bottom. Handles on the sides make lifting easier.
label: Description
content: The US trademark description of the game (trademark number 1143966 registered Dec 23, 1980) states: "For: Coin operated game apparatus in which a live animal, such as a chicken, is programmed to compete with a human in a game such as tic-tac-toe, in class 9 (US Cls. 22 and 23). First use Nov. 1975; in commerce Jan. 1976. Ser. No. 149531, filed Nov. 21, 1977."
label: Description
content: Some images show the donor (Bob Bailey),family member Rae Barriner (in a pink shirt), and curator Peggy Kidwell
label: Description
content: For related materials, see the remainder of accession 2004.0075, as well as nonaccession 2004.3022.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Arkansas, Hot Springs
topic: label: Subject
content: Entertainment
label: Subject
content: Psychology
label: Subject
content: Animal Behavior
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Teaching Machines
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Robert E. Bailey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2004.0075.01
label: catalog number
content: 2004.0075.01
label: accession number
content: 2004.0075
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Game, Coin-Operated
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 40 in x 44 1/4 in x 34 in; 101.6 cm x 112.395 cm x 86.36 cm