Museo Torres Quevedo
University museum of the UPM School of Civil Engineering that preserves the machines and instruments of Leonardo Torres Quevedo, such as the chess-playing automaton and the telekino.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum preserves the legacy of the engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852–1936). Its origin lies in the Laboratorio de Automática, created so that Torres Quevedo could develop his work following a proposal from members of the Ateneo de Madrid in 1906, and which received its official name in 1911. According to the museum’s blog, the collection brings together the devices and accessories that the engineer donated to the School of Civil Engineering in 1928.
It is located in the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, in the Ciudad Universitaria. Visitors can see analogue mathematical machines and calculators, two chess-playing automata, the telekino (a remote control device), a model of the Niagara Falls aerial cableway and a panorganic freezing microtome. Original plans and diagrams explaining how his inventions work are also preserved.
The pieces are among the precursors of numerical calculation, remote control and telematics. Visits are always by prior appointment and are free.
Highlights
- Torres Quevedo’s chess-playing automata
- Telekino, a remote control device
- Analogue mathematical machines and calculators
- Model of the Niagara aerial cableway
- Original plans and diagrams of his inventions
Permanent exhibition
- Máquinas y autómatas de Torres Quevedo – Analogue mathematical machines, two chess-playing automata, the telekino, a model of the Niagara cableway, a panorganic microtome and original plans.
- Operated by
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSI de Caminos, Canales y Puertos)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission, with compulsory prior appointment.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 75 min |
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Metro Ciudad Universitaria
Metro: Ciudad Universitaria (line 6). EMT buses: 82, F, G, U and 132.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The visit lasts about 75 minutes and is arranged in advance by email. The museum is inside the Escuela de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos. |
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Museums nearby
Aula Taller-Museo de las Matemáticas π-ensa
Museo de la Farmacia Hispana
Museo de Astronomía y Geodesia
Museo de Anatomía Comparada de Vertebrados
