Jacques de Vaucanson

Jacques de Vaucanson created and invented a wide range of objects. He was an automata pioneer and was born in 1709; without his efforts, many of the machines that gave rise to the Industrial Age would not have been feasible. Vaucanson created a life-size traverse flute player in 1737 who was capable of playing a total of twelve songs, which was unheard of at the time. He created The Digesting Duck in 1738, which is still regarded as a masterpiece of the era. It was an impressive replica of a duck with hundreds of parts that could flap its wings, eat and drink, and even feces.

The all-metal slide rest lathe he created in 1750, however, was his most significant creation. Although lathes, a type of machine tool with an axis used to perform various industrial tasks, had been around since ancient times, he significantly improved the design for his time, giving the world a foundational machine. Vaucanson's innovations served as the foundation for almost every automatic device created during the Industrial Revolution, including the Jacquard loom.

Born: 1709

Died: 1782