Stephen Sanders, Director of Remote Handling consultancy, Oxford Technologies, took the opportunity to try out the latest ESA exoskeleton for himself when he attended a recent ESA presentation in the Netherlands.
The technology was later demonstrated on BBC Stargazing Live, by presenter Dallas Campbell who remotely, and in real-time, controlled a haptic manipulator arm, live on television. Dallas explained to the viewers that he was able to feel pressure applied to the arm by Dara O’Briain in the UK television studio.
Stephen Sanders commented; “This ability to provide telemanipulation and telepresence wirelessly and in real-time, across large distances, opens up enormous opportunities, not only for the remote maintenance of space-based systems, but also to enable safe working in dangerous environments on earth, for example, in decommissioning nuclear reactors. With this technology it would be possible to operate a series of “slave” manipulators across several sites, from a single control room.”

Issued by:

SMPR Limited, Dovecote Cottage, Manor Court, Stretton on Fosse, GL56 9SB

Contact: Shelagh Morgan, Tel: 01608.663425, e-mail: shelagh.morgan@smpr.co.uk

www.smpr.co.uk

On behalf of:

Oxford Technologies Ltd, 7 Nuffield Way, Abingdon, Oxon, UK, OX14 1RL

Tel: +44 (0) 1235 522119, email: enquire@oxfordtechnologies.co.uk, www.oxfordtechnologies.co.uk