1961 – Submaray Submersible – Doug Privitt (American)

 1961 – Submaray Submersible by Doug Privitt started being built in 1961 and was launched in 1962. Privitt inside Submaray operating the simple rod manipulator arm. It appears to slide inside a ball-and-socket joint, as can be seen in the video clip. Although a simple setup, this arm is quite efficient and versatile. The …

1959 – SP-350 Denise Diving Saucer – Jacques-Yves Cousteau et al (French)

 The SP-350 Denise, famous as the "Diving saucer" (Soucoupe plongeante), is a small submarine designed to hold two people, and is capable of exploring depths of up to 400 metres (1,300 ft). It was invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Jean Mollard at the French Centre for Undersea Research. It was built in the …

1947 – Mechanical Lobster – Harry Rieseberg / Charles Warren (American)

1947 – Mechanical Lobster model by Harry Rieseberg and Charles Warren. Source: Mechanix Illustrated, Nov 1947. Mechanical “Lobster” Deep undersea the claws of this tank will rip to the heart of rotting treasure ships. THERE’S gold down on the ocean floor. Vast fortunes lie hidden in sunken caches, waiting the hand bold enough to stretch …

1940 – Diving Bell Arm With Grippers – Friedrich Gall (German)

1940 – Diving Bell Arm With Grippers by Friedrich Gall Working arm with grippers for diving chambers Publication number    DE738760 C Publication date    Aug 31, 1943 Filing date    Feb 6, 1940 Inventor    Friedrich Gall Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (3), Classifications (3) External Links: DPMA, Espacenet See other related Friedrich Gall inventions here and here. …

1913 – Manipulator Arm For Diving Bell – Charles Petit (French)

1913 – Manipulator Arm For Diving Bell by Charles Petit. Moving means for the Arbeitsgeraet of diving equipment Publication number    DE321916 C Publication date    Jun 15, 1920 Filing date    Mar 5, 1913 Applicant    Charles Petit See German patent here. See other early Underwater Robots here.