An early Artist's conception from the late 1970's. Source: Robots: Fact, Fiction, and Prediction by Jasia Reichardt, 1978. Source: Field Test of Aquatic Walking Robot for Underwater Inspection Junichi Akizono, Senior Research Engineer Mineo Iwasaki, Chief of Robotics Laboratory Takashi Nemoto, Member of Robotics Laboratory Osamu Asakura, Member of Robotics Laboratory – Machinery Division Port …
1985 – Nuclear Inspection Robot "AMOOTY" climbing stairs in a mock-up of a nuclear power plant. Before AMOOTY there was MOOTY. No manipulator arm here, just vision and star-wheel propulsion. Text Source: Inside The Robot Kingdom, Frederik L. Schodt, 1988 If cleverly designed, a robot on modified wheels or tank treads can still have considerable …
1985 – ACEC Mobile Inspection Vehicle The manipulators are master-slave force feed-back and electrically driven. The ACEC Vehicle for remote inspection and intervention has a minimal footprint when the treads are folded up and the manipulator arms are also folded. Publication number EP0197020 A1 Publication date Oct 8, 1986 Filing date Mar 7, 1986 Priority …
1985 – Manned Autonomous Work Station (MAWS) by Brand Griffin. For more detail see Griffin’s pdf here. Image and text sourced from drell-7. “With restrictions put on by current EVA technology, there’s no such thing as being able to put on your spacesuit, go out the airlock and deal with an emergency these days. A …
Dustbot ® 5409; SO-G ® was the first purpose-built robot to feature a built-in vacuum cleaner. Dustbot's large eyes flash red and his arms move creating a sweeping action for the broom, while his vacuum functions. He really vacuumes, he picks up small pieces of paper, dust, crumbs, etc. He senses any edge and turns …