Jaquet-Droz automata

[1] There was also a fourth automaton, called "the Cave", which was a big diorama with a palace carved on a rock, gardens and figurines, which has disappeared.

The History and Archeology society of Neuchâtel eventually bought them in 1906, for 75,000 gold francs, and gave them to the museum.

The draughtsman is modelled as a young child, and is capable of drawing four different images: a portrait of Louis XV, a royal couple (believed to be Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI), a dog with "Mon toutou" ("my doggy") written beside it, and a scene of Cupid driving a chariot pulled by a butterfly.

The draughtsman works by using a system of cams that code the movements of the hand in two dimensions, plus one to lift the pencil.

His eyes follow the text being written, and his head moves when he takes some ink.