What does a cable car in Niagara Falls have to do with the world’s first machine to play chess? Surprisingly, both were inventions of Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo . Next week, as part of our ongoing effort to celebrate Europe’s computing heritage, we’re commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy and his remarkable machine—"El Ajedrecista" (in English, "The Chess Player")—in partnership with the Telecommunication Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid. Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons demonstrate wireless remote control , beaten to the post only by Nikola Tesla . His designs for airships were used by both the French and British during WWI. He was a global leader in cable car design, creating the “Spanish aero car ” over the Niagara Whirlpool which, nearly a century on , remains a tourist attraction. However, his most remarkable achievements were in the field of automation, developing machines that are antecedents to what we now call computers and robots.proclaimed in 1915 : “He would substitute machinery for the human mind.” In the 1890’s Torres-Quevedo built a series of mechanical devices that solved algebraic equations. In 1920 he wowed a Paris audience with an electromechanical arithmometer with typewriter attachment. You simply typed a formula—say, “24x48”—and the machine would calculate and automatically type the answer “=1152” in reply.Deep Blue , El Ajedrecista can lay claim to being the world’s first (analog) computer game.Photos thanks to Museo Torres Quevedo machine could never lose .Telecommunication Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid to stage a conference commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy. The conference , taking place on November 7, will feature lectures and panel discussions, as well as an exhibition of Torres-Quevedo’s devices—including El Ajedrecista itself. Attendance is free—if you want to join us, request an invitation .Posted by Lynette Webb, Senior Manager, External Relations
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