Remote access manipulator

Claim 1

A remote access manipulator for performing operations on equipment including a slave carriage engageable with said equipment for positioning instruments in relationship to said equipment, a slave manipulator arm located near said slave carriage for positioning said slave carriage and for transferring said instruments to said slave carriage, a master carriage similarly attached to a scale model of said equipment located remote from said equipment whereby manual manipulation of said master carriage is automatically replicated by said slave carriage, a master manipulator arm located near said master carriage for controlling said slave manipulator arm whereby manual manipulation of said master manipulator arm is automatically replicated by said slave manipulator arm, and control means for coordinating movement between said carriages and said arms, said slave carriage comprising: a body having a first camlock disposed therein for engaging said equipment and having an end effector attachment for engaging said instruments; a first housing having a first end rotatably attached to said body and having a second end extending outwardly from said body; a first motor disposed within said first end of said first housing for rotating said first housing with respect to said body; a second housing having a first portion rotatably attached to said second end of said first housing and having a second portion extending outwardly from said first portion; a second motor disposed within said first portion of said second housing for rotating said second housing with respect to said first housing; a second camlock disposed in said second portion of said second housing for engaging said equipment; a third housing having a first side rotatably attached to said body and having a second side extending outwardly from said body; a third motor disposed within said first side of said third housing for rotating said third housing with respect to said body; a fourth housing having a first section rotatably attached to said second side of said third housing and having a second section extending outwardly from said first section; a fourth motor disposed within said first section of said fourth housing for rotating said fourth housing with respect to said third housing; a third camlock disposed in said section of said fourth housing for engaging said equipment; and angle sensing means located with each of said motors for determining the angle of rotation of each of said housings, said housings cooperating to advance said body in relationship to said equipment so as to position said instruments in proper relationship with said equipment so that operations may be performed thereon.