Answer Game Robot Machine' ICHIDA toy, Japan, circa 1962

Robot ‘Answer Game Machine' - Ichida (Japan, circa 1962)

Technical specifications:
    - Manufacturer: Ichida (Japan)
    - Year of manufacture: circa 1962
    - Dimensions: 165 x 165 x 365 mm
    - Power supply: 3 type D batteries

This rare robot, designed in the 1960s in Japan by Ichida, is capable of performing addition and subtraction operations. It operates entirely mechanically, relying on an ingenious system of brass gears.

How it works:

The robot has four switches for resetting, adding, subtracting and calculating, plus ten buttons numbered from 1 to 10.
    - Visual indicators: Its eyes light up to indicate whether the current operation is addition or subtraction.
    - Internal mechanism: As he ‘thinks', his ‘brain' rotates slowly inside his head.

Instructions for use (extract from the original instruction sheet) :
    1.    Installation: Insert three type D batteries (torch).
    2.    Addition: Move the switch to the left (+) and select the numbers on the keypad.
    3.    Subtraction: Move the switch to the right (-) and press the desired digits.
    4.    Total: Press down the corresponding switch to obtain the result.
    5.    Clear: To reset the machine, use the switch marked C.
    6.    Ready for a new calculation.

An attractive, innovative design

This robot is distinguished by its neat design and bright colours, which made it particularly attractive to children. Unlike the majority of robotic toys at the time, which simply walked and pulled, the Answer Game Machine offered fun and educational interaction, enabling real mathematical operations to be carried out.

Manufacturer Ichida took particular care in its design, using sophisticated brass gears reminiscent of mechanical calculator mechanisms.

Condition of the toy
    - General condition: excellent, completely original and complete.
    - Battery compartment: clean and corrosion-free. Two contact plates have been re-welded.
    - Some signs of wear: slight corrosion marks on the base and the tips of the hands (at paint level).

This robot is a rare and fascinating piece, bearing witness to an era when mechanics and ingenuity were combined to create educational and interactive toys.