Armatron was a robotic toy made and distributed by TOMY, Tandy and Radio Shack in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It consisted of a crane-like arm, similar to the type you would see on a car production line, just smaller, and with two attached joysticks. The two joysticks would allow you to pick up and move small objects.
Two versions of the Armatron existed, the original Armatron was a fixed version. However, there was also a mobile version released which came with a wired remote. This version looked more like your typical living robot than a car production line crane. It included an ‘energy level’ indicator which was really a countdown timer. Both versions also came with a series of objects such as spheres and boxes. These were designed to be easily manipulated by the crane-like arm.
However, Armatron and Mobile Armatron are not the only variations of Armatron to be released. Models of the Armatron with alternate decals and colouring were marketed under different names. These included the Super Armatron and the Armatron II.
Radio Shack Armatron Movement
Movement of the Armatron arm was purely mechanical, with the only electric component being the single motor. The two joysticks engaged or disengaged gears on a set of rotating drums to control the arm’s movements.
With the two joysticks, you were able to perform numerous functions. This included opening and closing the hand, rotating the hand and raising and lowering the wrist. You were also able to move the elbow side to side, raise and lower the arm and turn the whole arm around the base.
The grippers were spring loaded so that you could grab things with a varying degree of pressure. This was helpful when trying to pick up heavier objects. There were also rubber fingertips on the claws gripper, making it a little sticky and easier to grab objects than it would have been otherwise.
