Home » Science » Engineering & Technology » Robotics » Doctor Who briefly featured Kamelion, an android who was “played” by an actual robot. Unfortunately, the writers had to kill the character off when the robot’s inventor, who was the only one who knew how to control it, died in a boating accident.
Doctor Who briefly featured Kamelion, an android who was “played” by an actual robot. Unfortunately, the writers had to kill the character off when the robot’s inventor, who was the only one who knew how to control it, died in a boating accident.
When Kamelion changed shape, it was played by the actor whose character’s form it took. However, when in its default form, it was a true computer-controlled robot prop. The reason why the Kamelion robot was used fully only in two serials was that it was very difficult for the Doctor Who production team to control. It malfunctioned frequently, and things were only made worse when its inventor, Mike Power, died in a boating accident without leaving behind the knowledge of the complex codes that controlled it. A third appearance by the character in the serial The Awakening, designed to bridge the gap between its appearances and to remind viewers of its existence and the fact that it had been ‘hiding’ all this time somewhere in the TARDIS,… Continue Reading (4 minute read)
