Historical Photo of the Month – May 2010

Click on photo to see larger image

Teleoperator and Robotic Arm

Photograph Number 343-1978Ac

In 1970, NASA began developing teleoperator and robot technology for space applications. Teleoperators are defined as man-machine systems which extend a person’s sensory, manipulative and cognitive capabilities to remote places, such as under the sea or in space. Studies were also being done for possible use of teleoperators in microsurgery, remote surgery, and remote health care. In 1971, NASA and the Veterans Administration jointly sponsored a project to expand that technology to prosthetic or remotely controlled devices for amputees and people with spinal cord injuries. These devices were designed to replace some of their motor, manipulative, or sensory capabilities.

Artificial arms and hands, in particular, required very complex design and control technology. This 1975 photo shows a robotic arm developed by the Guidance and Control Systems and Research Section (343) and the Advanced Technical Studies Office (131). It was based on the design of a hard space suit, with a simple “hand” that could open and close. In various tests, the hand grasped and picked up objects, controlled by the person in the background using the master hand and aided by proximity sensors. A more life-like hand with a moveable thumb and fingers was later added to the arm to provide greater dexterity.

For more information about teleoperators and remote controlled devices, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: Teleoperator/Robot Technology Can Help Solve Biomedical Problems, TM 33-727; JPL telephone directory; and Section 343 photo album.

If you have any additional information about this photo,

please contact the webmaster.