Robophone, Incorporated

Robophone, Incorporated of Grand Rapid, Michigan, a division of the Automatic Instrument Company, of Chicago, Illinois, manufactured Robophone machines and the custom records used in them. Robophone was a patented system used widely from 1933 to 1940 to control complex audio-visual displays at world's fairs, expositions, trade shows and conventions, and department stores. It consisted of a phonograph turntable that could repeat the playing of a record and programmed to raise and lower its needle at any point to accomodate any size record up to 16-inches. The turntable was synchronised with a panel of electrical contacts that could be programmed to turn on and off up to 100 individual electrical circuits per minute, at 3/5 of a second intervals. These circuits could control an exhibit's lights, motors to move exhibit elements, direct changes to various sound speaker locations, and more. Robophone, Inc. provided its clients with custom records and comprehensive services such as programming the system and changing records and needles on site as required. Clients would generally lease the machines because they were very expensive. Robophone records could be played on any record player but had at the beginning a spiral lead-in groove track that enabled the starting of the sound and visual effects in perfect synchonization. The firm dominated the field to such a degree that these audio-visual displays were commonly referred to as Robophones when mentioned in newspaper and magazine articles or advertising by companies promoting their displays.