MR ATOMIC - YONEZAWA - JAPAN

A lithographed tin battery operated robot. Mr Atomic is a distinctive robot. It is a essentially a cone-shaped robot with arms and feet. Head, legs and a face are totally lacking. A large clear dome covers a futuristic bank of twelve lights that look like an early computer display. Two clear plastic ears protrude from the head. Most robots have human shape but Mr Atomic is one of the most radical departures from this tradition; it's as close to a pure robot as the great robot manufacturers ever got.

Bump and go action with either a clicking noise (silver version with white feet) or a whistling sound (blue version with yellow feet). The feet tap up and down and there's a light show behind that screen. The box art is a plain but attractive depiction of the robot.

Mr Atomic featured in the 1962 Sears Christmas catalog, with a price tag of $6.79. Apparently it did not sell well and was soon withdrawn.

The bottom row shows two pictures the 9-light prototype.