Commander Robot (AKA Ralph Roger Robot) by David Coleman (1969). This 7-foot 4, aluminium and plexiglass ice-skating robot featured in the “Ice Capades” and “Ice Follies”. It contains some 50 pounds of batteries, servos, a tape recorder, flashing blue eyes and glowing red tubes, with two motors to drive sprockets that bite into the ice and make it move. Coleman was inspired to build his robot while repairing props backstage for the Ice Follies where he once skated. Coleman told the producers, “I’m going to build a robot.”
