JASON VII: Adapting to a Changing Sea

The NR-1 Submarine

Manipulator Arm

NR-1 has a hydraulically powered general purpose manipulator with six degrees of freedom and seven motions:

• shoulder pivot and rotate
• elbow pivot
• wrist pivot
• wrist rotate
• hand extension
• jaw open and close

Watch the NR-1's manipulator arm in action.
mpeg video clip (73 Kbytes)

With the submarine resting on the seabed the manipulator has a semicircular work zone of about 9 ft (2.7 m) radius, which allows it to place objects in the work module (sample basket). When not in use, the manipulator is housed in the forward end of the box keel. lt is controlled from a portable control box usable at either the viewing ports or the ship control station. The manipulator can pick up objects having one dimension not exceeding 8 inches (20 cm). ln seawater, at full hydraulic pressure, the manipulator can lift objects that weigh up to 200 lb (90 kg), or at minimal pressure, up to 110 lb (50 kg). The shoulder rotates the arm 360 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

The upper arm pivots 19 degrees down or 90 degrees up from the horizontal. The forearm pivots 135 degrees up or down from the longitudinal axis of the upper arm. The 5,000 in.-lb (57.6 m-kg) capacity wrist actuator can rotate the hand and jaws 220 degrees about the longitudinal wrist axis. The jaws have knurled gripping faces on their outboard end, and cutting force from O to 1,300 lb (591 kg). A pair of soft-faced jaws and a pair of hard, knurled-faced jaws, both without cutting blades, are also provided, to suit the object to be gripped. A second set of jaw plates is used only for cutting, and can cut a 1-3/4 in. (4.4 cm) nylon rope, 1-1/8 in. (2.8 cm) diameter wire rope, or similar electrical cables.

The bow contains a hydraulically operated work module with two sample baskets, each 19-1/2 in. deep by 29-1/2 in. wide by 36-3/4 in. high (about 50x75x93 cm), and capable of holding objects weighing 1000 lb (450 kg) in air. The work module can be extended 6 ft (1.8 m) below the bow for collecting objects gathered by the manipulator, or for temporary installations of special test or oceanographic equipment. It retracts flush with the box keel when not in use, and is removable from topside by a portable davit with a 1-1/2 ton (1,364 kg) hoist. A shot tank for 2,000 lb (909 kg) of lead shot, adjacent to the sample baskets, permits weight compensation as objects are gathered. The shot hopper has a hydraulically operated metering valve.

All NR-1 images and text courtesy of the Department of the Navy - Sea Systems Command.

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Gene Carl Feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Todd Carlo Viola, JASON Foundation for Education (todd@jason.org)
Revised: 17 Oct 1995