a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
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 …
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1970-1 – CURV Mobile Linkage Manipulator. Originally developed for the Cable-controlled Undersea Remove Vehicle (CURV), it was adapted for potential use as a mobile nuclear manipulator as seen here. Later it was used in Bezjcy's lab at the Jet Propulstion Laboratories (JPL), along with the JPL/Ames Arm. The NEVADA/CURV system (Fig. 3) consists of …
Read More “1970-1 – CURV Mobile Linkage Manipulator – Naval Undersea Research (American)”
1960 – KOELSCH Mobile Manipulator The JPL KOELSCH Robot system (Fig. 2) contains two identical arms mounted on a common shoulder link supported by a vertical post. The post is fitted to a small tread platform. The common shoulder link can be rotated about and raised along the vertical axis of the post. …
Read More “1960 – KOELSCH Mobile Manipulator – William A. Koelsch Jr. (American)”
The ART Project’s Nuclear Inspection Centaur Robot After the earthquake last year and the resulting damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant, observers criticized Japan’s lack of preparedness. In particular, many felt that the Japanese robotics sector’s focus on expensive humanoids had squandered time and resources better spent on more specialized robots. However, this isn’t totally …
Read More “1984-93 – Nuclear Inspection Centaur Robot – ART Project (Japanese)”
1955 – Mobile Remote Manipulator at Argonne National Labs. Sphere-mounted tongs, similar to those on Mobile Remote Manipulator. Popular Mechanics Feb 1955 Lead Shield on Wheels Guards Atomic Worker Electric motors propel a heavy, three-sided lead shield used in handling radioactive materials at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. The barrier, which is four inches thick, …