Eric: The UK's first robot

Eric, the UK's first robot, was originally built in 1928. He wowed crowds across the UK, Europe and the US, but then he disappeared. Thanks to the backers of our Kickstarter campaign, we recreated Eric and you can see him on display for free from 20 October to 30 November 2016. Eric holds a unique place in our history. He was everything we now imagine a robot to be – a talking, moving mechanical person. Originally built in 1928 by Captain Richards & A.H. Reffell, Eric was one of the world’s first robots. Built less than a decade after the word robot was first used, he travelled the globe with his makers but then disappeared, seemingly forever. In May 2016, 861 backers joined our Kickstarter campaign to bring Eric back to life. Thanks to this support we worked with artist and robot builder Giles Walker to recreate Eric, keeping his appearance as close to the original as possible. Eric has now been saved for the nation as part of our permanent collection. Eric will star in our Robots exhibition from February 2017 and he will once more travel the world as part of the exhibition’s international tour. To see Eric and over 100 incredible robots in the exhibition, buy tickets online or at any ticket desk in the Museum. Please note: While on display in the Museum, Eric will perform short demonstrations each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12.15. Eric will be on static display at all other times. See a recreation of the UK’s first robot, Eric free SubjectsCurrent scienceEngineeringAge rangesUnder 5sAge 5-7Age 8-11Age 12-16Adults Go to exhibit details page Go to exhibit details page