https://github.com/davideriboli/seleno
The electric dog
https://github.com/davideriboli/seleno
automaton cibernetica cybernetics robot robot-control robotics-simulation seleno
Last synced: 2 days ago
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The electric dog
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/davideriboli/seleno
- Owner: davideriboli
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-05-15T14:32:19.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-15T14:45:59.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-15T16:31:34.653Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: automaton, cibernetica, cybernetics, robot, robot-control, robotics-simulation, seleno
- Language: HTML
- Homepage: https://davideriboli.github.io/Seleno/
- Size: 187 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 1
- Open Issues: 0
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Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Seleno (1912) — The Electric Dog
### A cybernetic simulation and generative art piece based on the world's first phototropic automaton.
**Live Demo:** https://davideriboli.github.io/Seleno/
> "The electric dog... might in a very near future become in truth a real 'dog of war,' without fear, without heart... with but one purpose: to reach and let out the lifeblood of anything that comes within the range of its senses." — Benjamin Franklin Miessner, 1916.
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## 1. Historical & Epistemological Context
**Seleno**, universally known as "The Electric Dog," represents a cornerstone in the pre-history of cybernetics and autonomous robotics. Conceived in **1912** at the Gloucester (Massachusetts) laboratory by **John Hays Hammond Jr.** and **Benjamin Franklin Miessner**, Seleno is historically recognized as the first-ever successful realization of a self-directing, light-sensitive vehicle.
### The Biological Foundation: Jacques Loeb
Unlike the pre-programmed automata of classical horology, Seleno was the physical incarnation of biologist **Jacques Loeb’s** theories on "forced movements" or tropisms. Loeb posited that animal behavior (such as a moth flying toward a flame) was not a result of will or instinct, but a deterministic mechanical response to physical-chemical stimuli. Hammond and Miessner translated this "sensory-motor architecture" into electrical circuits, prefiguring the concept of **embodied cognition** by decades.
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## 2. The Original Architecture (1912)
The original device was encased in a mahogany chassis and utilized a technology that was pioneering for the early 20th century:
- **Sensory Apparatus:** Two condensing lenses with **Selenium cells** acting as the artificial "retina."
- **The "Nose":** An opaque partition placed between the lenses to create the differential light gradient required for steering.
- **Relay Logic:** A cascade of Weston micro-ampere relays and "Pony" power relays that implemented a purely hardware-based _if-then_ algorithm.
- **Modulation:** A **dashpot** (pneumatic damper) to filter out flickering light fluctuations and a **tail switch** to invert polarity (switching between positive and negative phototropism).
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## 3. The Digital Simulation
This modern interpretation is not a mere animation, but a behavioral simulation written in **Vanilla JavaScript** that emulates the analog feedback loops of the 1912 prototype.
### Core Features:
- **"Orthochromatic Film" Aesthetic:** A rendering style designed to mimic 1912 cinematography, featuring sepiatone grading, fractal film grain, and a material palette of mahogany, brass, and oxide red.
- **Kinetic Inertia:** The chassis possesses realistic mass and friction. Movement is not instantaneous, reflecting the mechanical heaviness of the original electromechanical structure.
- **Pneumatic Dashpot Simulation:** Users can adjust the steering damping level to observe the transition from unstable oscillatory behavior to smooth, stabilized tracking.
- **The Synthetic Method:** Following the analysis of **Roberto Cordeschi**, the code tests the "explanatory sufficiency" of the mechanist model: Seleno reacts to its environment in a purely reactive, non-representational manner.
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## 4. Laboratory Experiment (Gamification)
To emphasize the experimental nature of the project, the simulation includes a "Laboratory Mission" based on the original tests conducted at Gloucester:
- **Objective:** Guide Seleno back to the **Oxide Red Kennel** (The Kennel) while navigating through laboratory equipment.
- **The Lantern:** The user interacts with a draggable lantern. A tap/click toggles the power, allowing for observations of Seleno in both active and resting states.
- **Obstacles:** Procedurally generated crates and equipment block the path. Seleno interacts physically with these objects through inelastic collisions.
- **Silent Film Feedback:** Success and introductory messages are presented in the style of early 20th-century silent film title cards.
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## 5. Technical Implementation
- **Graphics Engine:** HTML5 Canvas 2D API.
- **Zero Dependencies:** Built strictly with standard web technologies. No external frameworks (like p5.js or Three.js) were used, ensuring high performance and longevity.
- **Mobile-First Architecture:** Features a responsive "Hamburger Menu" for controls and a real-time HUD (Heads-Up Display) to monitor sensor resistance (L-Cell / R-Cell).
- **Homing Logic:** The steering calculation implements the inverse square law of light and accounts for the geometric "shadow" cast by the central partition.
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## References
1. **Miessner, B. F. (1916).** _Radiodynamics: The Wireless Control of Torpedoes and Other Mechanisms_. D. Van Nostrand Co.
2. **Loeb, J. (1918).** _Forced Movements, Tropisms, and Animal Conduct_. J. B. Lippincott Company.
3. **Cordeschi, R. (2002).** _The Discovery of the Artificial: Behavior, Mind and Machines Before and Beyond Cybernetics_. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
4. **Hammond, J. H. Jr. (1921).** _US Patent 1,387,850: System of Radiodirective Control_.
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_Created as an exploration of early cybernetic history and the synthesis of biology and engineering._