When I was but a little teen, around 1980, I built my first robot. It was based on the book "How to Build a Computer Controlled Robot" by Tod Loofbourrow. Of course it was very clumsy those days, but it was programmable and you could sit on it and it would drive you around. Built around the 6502 processor KIM-1 it only had a hex display and keypad. This was before thumb drives, before CD/DVD drives, before hard drives, before floppy drives, and before cassette tape storage. Every program had to be entered by hand every time. All the programming was done in hex, oh what for a real assembler in those days.
I have memories of going to the junk yard and looking for metal pieces that could be cut or bent into the right shape for the frame and skin. I found an old green hi-way sign with the reflector paint still on it. It was sturdy aluminum. Perfect for the outer bumpers that went all the way around the outside. The contact switches were messy and it was always making contact with ghosts.
More memories from Servo Mag.
Here is a picture of the interior structure with the KIM-1 on top.
I wish I had a picture of mine. I'm sure there is one somewhere at my parents house.