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Leonardo Torres Quevedo of Hotel Casona Palacio Los Caballeros in Santillana del Mar. Official Website.

"Casona Palacio Los Caballeros, former residence of Leonardo Torres Quevedo, where history, elegance and comfort meet"

Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936) engineer of Cantabrian origin was one of the great visionaries of automation and robotics. His imagination and scientific rigour made him a pioneer able to anticipate many of the advances of the 21st century.

More information
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Aerial tramway

He patented the aerial tramway, the first cable car designed for the safe transport of people, most notably those installed on Mount Ulía (1907, San Sebastián) and over the Niagara River “Spanish Aerocar” (1916, Canada), five kilometres downstream from the falls, which is still in operation today.
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Analogue calculation machines and automata

He designed and built analog calculating machines and automata (1920), such as the electromechanical arithmometer (the calculator), this invention showed that machines could perform complex intellectual tasks following a pre-established program. Many experts saw it as a forerunner to modern computing.

One of his most famous achievements is the "Ajedrecista" (1912), one of the first automatic machines able to play a chess game without human intervention, precursor of artificial intelligence.
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Semi-rigid airships and airships

He worked in aeronautics developing semi-rigid aerostats and airships (1902) more secure and controllable known as "Torres Quevedo System" to improve the stability and maneuverability.
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Telekino

He invented the Telekino (1903), considered the first wireless remote control in history, could control ships and other devices from a distance, a direct antecedent of current drones.