What looks like the packing crate for Robby the Robot is actually a diving suit invented by Chester E. Macduffee, seen here in 1911. The suit weighed 250 kilograms (550 lbs) and was successfully used at a depth of 213 feet in 1915 – because it was not watertight, it was equipped with a water pump that removed water from the leg sections. Very little is known about Macduffee himself; this website provides some additional information and more photos.

The Old Wolf has spoken.