Whole-Arm Manipulation System Barrett Technology, Cambridge, MA

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Whole-Arm Manipulation SystemBarrett Technology,
Cambridge, MA

• Innovation
• The WAM(TM) Arm (Barrett Arms) is a highly
  dexterous back drivable
• manipulator. The only arm sold in the world
  with direct-drive capability
• supported by transparent dynamics(TM) between
  the motors and joints, so
• its joint-torque control is unmatched.

• Commercialization / Accomplishments
• The firm has been able to sell a multitude of the
  Barrett Hands and Barrett
• Arms as a results of the products they have
  developed for National Aeronautics
• and Space Administration (NASA).
• The firms has also filed and received numerous
  patents because of the work they
• have done with NASA, National Science
  Foundation (NSF), and the United
• States Air Force.The firms credits these
  groups for helping make available the
• first commercially available cable-driven
  robots.
• The Guinness 2000 Book of World Records
  Millennium Edition lists Barrett
• Technology's WAM(TM) arm as the most
  advanced robotic arm in the world.
• The Barrett Hand BH8-series grasper was showcased
  on the recent cover of
• Machine Design Magazine (February 2001)
  www.machinedesign.com for its
• unmatched versatility, programmability, and
  ease of integration with
• commercial robotic arms.
• The firm will reported net income of about
  100,000 on revenue of about 1
• million in 1998, up from 450,000 in sales
  for 1997
• The firm shipped a Barrett-Arm (WAM) to Z-KAR,
  Inc. located in Miami,
• Florida on December 31, 1998. Z-KAT will use
  the WAM Arm in the computer-
• assisted surgical field.

Whole-arm Manipulation System (WAM)

• Government/Science Applications
• The WAM light weight and human-like joint back
  
• drivability provides a safe alternative for
  astronauts in
• the vicinity of EVA and IVA flight hardware.
• The integrated arm/wrist/ hand system has many
  other
• commercial and governmental applications.
  These
• include use in hazardous environment such
  as toxic
• waste cleanup, nuclear power plant
  maintenance,
• high-voltage, computer assisted surgery,
  or explosives
• disposal.

Points of Contact NASA Jane I. Fox
281-483-4815 Company robot_at_barrett.com 1990
SBIR Phase II NAS 9-18523
Johnson Space Center Date of Update 02/08/02
Success Story 09-57