Maillardet's Automaton

Maillardet's Automaton, housed at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, is a remarkable 18th-century creation by Swiss mechanic Henri Maillardet. Known as the Draughtsman Writer, this intricate machine boasts the largest memory of any automaton, capable of producing four drawings and three poems in both French and English.

Originally damaged in a fire, the automaton has been restored to working order, allowing it to demonstrate the intersection of art and science through its elaborate sketches. Its unique design features a driving mechanism contained in a chest, enabling its mechanical fingers to replicate the fine details of its crafted works.

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