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\\M1BDR30;\M2SIGN57;\M3NGR25;\M4NGR20;\F2\CVICARM
\F3\C154  EAST DANA STREET
\CMOUNTAIN  VIEW, CA. 94041
\F4\←L\-R\/'7;\+R\→.\→S Telephone:
\←S\→.415-965-0557
\F1\CJanuary 19,1976

Mr. T.J. Donnelly
Westinghouse Nuclear Division
P.O. Box 2728
R & D Center- Building 101
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15235

Dear Mr. Donnelly:

\J	 Vicarm  is pleased  to reply to  your request  for proposal for  a
remote  manipulator system suitable for  use in the  channel head and
tube plate area of your Westinghouse Nuclear Heat Exchanger.

	Due to the extremely limited time we have had to  prepare our
response, our present  proposal will have to be brief  and limited in
scope.

	We  have looked at two different  approaches to your problem.
The first solution involves an enlarged version of our Model Stanford
Manipulator, mounted in, or next  to the manway.  The second approach
involves a smaller manipulator which travels on a fixed or semi-fixed
guide mounted within the channel head.

The First Solution.
	The Vicarm  model  Stanford Manipulator  is a  six degree  of
freedom   computer  controlled   manipulator  characterized   by  six
independent, D.C.   motor  powered joints.   The  manipulator can  be
quickly separated into three sections.  The shoulder section contains
two revolute joints, and the drive for the prismatic joint.  The boom
section is a  square aluminum tube with  a rack mounted on  one side.
This  boom slips into  the shoulder  and engages the  prismatic joint
drive pinion.  The third section is the wrist section.  This  section
consists of three revolute joints with intersecting  axes, and a hand
drive unit with provision for various terminal devices.

	Each of these six joints plus the hand unit is an independent
servo system  consisting  of  a  D.C.   motor,  reducer,  tachometer,
position feedback  device (encoder,  resolver or  potentiometer), and
brake.   Thus,  the three sections  are very  simply mechanically and
electrically assembled into the  complete manipulator.  To  meet your
requirements, Vicarm would first  consider increasing the size of our
manipulator elements to meet your  load specifications.  Our  current
manipulator employs the USM Harmonic Drive reducer.   We have checked
their  specifications  and  it  appears  practical  to scale  up  our
manipulator to meet your load requirements.  In addition, the natural
low tooth engagement velocity of this sort of dirve makes an oil free
drive  system practical.  We also see  no reason to conisder anything
other than an all electric drive system, as your power (rate of work)
requirements are rather low.   The high power to weight properties of
an hydraulic system would be of no benefit here.

The specification that  the manipulator reach  all points within  the
channel head  implies  that all  six degrees  of  freedom be  located
within  the  head, or  well  into the  manway.   As  we  do  not have
sufficient manway  and  channel head  details,  we  have not  done  a
working volume study and are thus not able to dimension this proposed
manipulator at the present time.

A Second Alternative.
	Because  your access port  is small relative  to your working
volume,  another  approach  may  be  taken.    This  system  involves
installation of a removable track  within the channel head.  This may
either be a single tube or rail section mounted across the head, or a
perimeter  section, going  around  the inside  of  the channel  head.
Travelling  on this track would  be a small,  strong manipulator unit
with multiple degrees of freedom. This unit would be attached  to the
track and have to ability to  move along the track, rotate around the
track  and  rotate  relative to  the  track.   By  having  this track
stationary (or with  only a single  rotational degree of freedom),  a
lightweight  sectioned support  for  the small  manipulator  could be
obtained.   With  this approach,  the  large moments  involved  in  a
cantelevered  manipulator system  would be  handled  by a  stationary
structure.   The manipulator itself  would merely have  to handle the
required loads  and limited  offset moments.    This design  approach
would have to  be done from scratch, as the  manipulator system would
be  more of a special purpose device  rather than the general purpose
devices Vicarm currently produces.

Control.
	Vicarm produces  computer controlled manipulators.   All  our
manipulators are  thus expressly designed  for computer control.   We
supply  them  with  computer  interfaces,  with  computer,  and  with
software, depending on the  customer's desires.  We offer  a hardware
multimode  servo system with computer  selectable position, velocity,
and torque servo modes.

	Our arms are  solvable (not  all current manipulators  are!),
and we can provide solution  programs, straight line motion routines,
trajectory programs, and other software to suit the application.  Our
PDP-11 based  system with links  to the  PDP-10 computer provides  us
with very large compute power.   We would definitely suggest a PDP-11
series computer for your applicatioj.

Terminal devices.
	Our standard  hand drive  unit can  mount different  terminal
devices.    We  currently also  offer  a  simple  quickly  changeable
terminal device based on a square drive and standard socket tools.  A
variation of this unit may be suitable for your application. We also 
offer touch and force sensing fingers, and a 6 component wrist mounted
force balance for  precise force sensing and control.

What Vicarm can really do.

	This proposal  is  very cursory,  as  has been  our  thinking
during  this  brief period.    Vicarm  is not  currently  financially
capable  of undertaking a fixed price  complete system contract.  Nor
do we have the manpower to assure completion of such a project within
the approximately one year time frame you have suggested.  Instead we
would prefer to offer our services in the area of manipulator design,
or  subsystem design,  either individually,  or  in cooperation  with
other firms contracting with you on this project.

	We  look forward to  hearing favorable  news from you  in the
near future and hope that in any event, you keep us in mind for other
manipulator related projects.\.
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Yours sincerely,



Victor Scheinman
    President

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VDS:pdp10