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The Writer
Made mainly by Pierre Jaquet-Droz in 1774, The Writer is the most complex of the three automatons. He uses a system of cams similar to the one found in The Draughtsman that enable him to trace the letters of the alphabet. The Writer can write a text of 40 characters, set out over four lines. The text is programmed on a wheel with gear teeth of varying lengths that determine the characters of the alphabet to be drawn. The major invention in its mechanism is the programming system disc that enables him to write consecutive texts without any external intervention. The Writer uses a goose quill that he dips in an ink well upon moving to a new line, to avoid spots of ink on the paper. The eyes of the automaton follow the line of text as he writes.

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The Writer

Made mainly by Pierre Jaquet-Droz in 1774, The Writer is the most complex of the three automatons. He uses a system of cams similar to the one found in The Draughtsman that enable him to trace the letters of the alphabet. The Writer can write a text of 40 characters, set out over four lines. The text is programmed on a wheel with gear teeth of varying lengths that determine the characters of the alphabet to be drawn. The major invention in its mechanism is the programming system disc that enables him to write consecutive texts without any external intervention. The Writer uses a goose quill that he dips in an ink well upon moving to a new line, to avoid spots of ink on the paper. The eyes of the automaton follow the line of text as he writes.