The Iron Dobbin was a mechanical horse which was first described in ''
Popular Science Monthly
Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
'' in April 1933.
The machine, designed by an Italian inventor, was powered by a gasoline engine and moved upon steel pipes allowing it to traverse a rough field.
The device was to be used to train the youth of the
Gioventù Italiana del Littorio
The ''Gioventù Italiana del Littorio'' (GIL) (English: Italian Youth of the Lictor) was the consolidated youth movement of the National Fascist Party of Italy that was established in 1937, to replace the ''Opera Nazionale Balilla'' (ONB). It was ...
to ride, but was rejected by the Italian military as impractical.
The German military, after seeing the Iron Dobbin in ''Popular Science'', designed the
Panzerpferd for their Gebirgsjaeger troops, which was also rejected.
See also
*
Walking truck
The Walking Truck or Cybernetic Walking Machine was an experimental quadruped walking vehicle created by General Electric in 1965. It was designed by Ralph Mosher to help infantry carry equipment over rough terrain. It alternatively bore the ...
*
BigDog
BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped military robot platform that was created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics with the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), but th ...
*
Cislaghi Motoruota
References
Off-road vehicles
Vehicle design
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