According to Wikipedia [1] the answer is at least partly "yes, indeed", as that and one other similar automaton are mentioned as inspiration for the design of t

According to Wikipedia [1] the answer is at least partly "yes, indeed", as that and one other similar automaton are mentioned as inspiration for the design of the automaton in the movie. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_(film)