Omnibot thumbnail 1
Omnibot thumbnail 2
+13
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Design Gallery, Designing for Change section 1, Case 3

This object consists of 7 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Omnibot

Programmable Robot
1984 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Omnibot programmable robot plus accessories.

The robot has a transparent domed top with strobe eyes underneath. The body contains the battery and electronics, plus motors for propulsion. The back is rounded and the front squared and set with cassette player, clock, speaker and various switches. The arms match the body and the claws are black plastic. The arms move and the claws swivel. The right one has a round hole in the broad side and a slot in the narrow side. The left one is a grabber with its open/close lever on the outside; it also has a slot in the narrow side. The whole has a square base with protective rubber band and it is mounted on four black wheels with grey tractor tread. There is a fifth wheel which is the directional one, swivelling on a disc. On the rear left of the robot is an antenna.

Tray, moulded cream plastic with a red and black paper trim around edge. It has two lugs which fit across the front of the robot's chest, two plugs which fit into the arms and two round holes into which may be fitted glasses or mugs.

The Home Base is a sheet of card printed in black and red to show a square with arrows and the name 'TOMY' which is in white. This is used as the starting place for the robot to repeat its programmed cassettes accurately.

Master Control Unit - a radio remote control of moulded cream plastic with a metal pull out antenna at the top, a black control panel with switches, buttons and a directions stick. It also contains a microphone.
The remote control can be used to operate the robot's movements, its two sound systems, allow the operator's voice to sound through the onboard speaker and if wanted with the tape sound, cassette recording, record movement signals and operated the various on/off systems. There is a removeable cover for the battery compartment with a finger grip at the top end for simple opening.

Mains adapter - a black plastic box with a three prong plug and a length of black and white plastic covered wire, wire ends with a jack which fits into the body of the robot to recharge its battery. It has an imput of 240v, 50 Hz//AC only with an output of 6V.---400mA 2.4VA.

Omnibot Instruction Manual, a book printed with text and illustrations to show how to work and maintain the robot. It is printed in two langauges, English and French, and each section is forty pages long.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 7 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Robot
  • Tray
  • Mat
  • Remote Control
  • Cover (Closure)
  • Plug
  • Mains Adaptor
  • Booklet
TitleOmnibot (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
ABS, polycarbonate, PVC, electronic components, metals, printed card and paper
Brief description
Omnibot, programmable robot made in Japan by the Tomy Corporation, 1984, ABS and electronic components
Physical description
Omnibot programmable robot plus accessories.

The robot has a transparent domed top with strobe eyes underneath. The body contains the battery and electronics, plus motors for propulsion. The back is rounded and the front squared and set with cassette player, clock, speaker and various switches. The arms match the body and the claws are black plastic. The arms move and the claws swivel. The right one has a round hole in the broad side and a slot in the narrow side. The left one is a grabber with its open/close lever on the outside; it also has a slot in the narrow side. The whole has a square base with protective rubber band and it is mounted on four black wheels with grey tractor tread. There is a fifth wheel which is the directional one, swivelling on a disc. On the rear left of the robot is an antenna.

Tray, moulded cream plastic with a red and black paper trim around edge. It has two lugs which fit across the front of the robot's chest, two plugs which fit into the arms and two round holes into which may be fitted glasses or mugs.

The Home Base is a sheet of card printed in black and red to show a square with arrows and the name 'TOMY' which is in white. This is used as the starting place for the robot to repeat its programmed cassettes accurately.

Master Control Unit - a radio remote control of moulded cream plastic with a metal pull out antenna at the top, a black control panel with switches, buttons and a directions stick. It also contains a microphone.
The remote control can be used to operate the robot's movements, its two sound systems, allow the operator's voice to sound through the onboard speaker and if wanted with the tape sound, cassette recording, record movement signals and operated the various on/off systems. There is a removeable cover for the battery compartment with a finger grip at the top end for simple opening.

Mains adapter - a black plastic box with a three prong plug and a length of black and white plastic covered wire, wire ends with a jack which fits into the body of the robot to recharge its battery. It has an imput of 240v, 50 Hz//AC only with an output of 6V.---400mA 2.4VA.

Omnibot Instruction Manual, a book printed with text and illustrations to show how to work and maintain the robot. It is printed in two langauges, English and French, and each section is forty pages long.
Dimensions
  • Robot height: 390mm
  • Robot width: 340mm
  • Robot depth: 330mm
  • Tray width: 343mm
  • Tray depth: 152mm
  • Home base width: 349mm
  • Home base depth: 394mm
  • Master control unit height: 165mm
  • Master control unit width: 83mm
  • Master control unit depth: 51mm
Production typemass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • '©1984 TOMY CANADA INC' (printed on page 40 of the instructions manual)
  • 'TOMY / ©Tomy Japan' (Moulded into underside of robot)
  • 'MODEL # 5402 rx / SERIAL # 7XV 5402B / DOC Licence Exemption under GRR 11, Sect 6 (4)' (Paper label glued on underneath also printed in French)
  • 'TOMY BATTERY CHARGER / For Indoor Use Only' (Silver and black plate on the front of the charger)
Credit line
Given by T. J. Davis
Object history
Bought by the donor for his son, Christopher Davis, born in 1980
Production
1984 is the copyright date on the instructions manual.
Distributed by Tomy Canada Inc
Subject depicted
Other number
5402 - Model number
Collection
Accession number
B.116:1 to 7-1998

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Record createdJune 4, 1998
Record URL
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