1962 – Unmanned Space Mobot (Concept) – Hughes Aircraft (American)

Hughes Space Mobot concept. John W. Clark, Ph.D. NUCLEAR ELECTRONICS LABORATORY HUGHES AIRCRAFT COMPANY CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA ROLE OF REMOTE HANDLING IN SPACE [c1962] Orbiting Vehicles In connection with orbiting vehicles, remote-handling techniques can advantageously be employed in connection with maintenance and repair, assembly in orbit, and personnel transfer. Maintenance and repair is, of cause, …

1969 – Self-propelled Anthropomorphic Manipulator (SAM) – Edwin Johnsen (American)

SAM, a mobile manipulator, mimics the movements of an operator stationed at a far-distant control center. The Self-propelled Anthropomorphic Manipulator (SAM) that wears NASA logos was developed under Edwin Johnsen's direction in 1969 by the now defunct Space Nuclear Propulsion division of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Johnsen is credited with introducing the popular term …