1964 – Yomiuri Submersible – Yomiuri Shimbu / Kawasaki (Japanese)

1964 – Yomiuri Submersible by Yomiuri Shimbu Newspaper and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.   Image source: Manned Submersibles, Frank Bushby, 1976. The manipulator has six degrees of freedom. See other early Underwater Robots here.

1964 – Aluminaut Submersible – Reynolds Submarine Corp. (American)

1964 – Aluminaut Submersible. Image source: Manned Submersibles, Frank Bushby, 1976. The Aluminaut is equipped with external dual manipulators which were designed jointly by Reynolds and the General Electric Company, Schenectady, New York and built by General Electric. Each manipulator handles up to 200 pounds at its full nine foot extension, and both are jointly …

1962-65 – Deepstar 4000 Diving Saucer – Jacques-Yves Cousteau / Westinghouse (French/American)

Image source: Popular Mechanics, August 1963. 1962 – Deepstar 4000 Diving Saucer – Jacques-Yves Cousteau / Westinghouse launched in 1965. 26 Jun 1962-NEW YORK: William E. Knox, president of Westinghouse International, demonstrates the flexibility of a remote control arm, part of a unique deep-sea vehicle at a 6/26(/62) press conference. The new  self-propelled vehicle, to …

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 …