Greenman (1983-1988)

The first anthropomorphic (human configured) manipulator developed at SSC San Diego was the Remote Presence Demonstration System, nicknamed "Greenman". It was assembled in 1983 using MB Associates arms and a SSC San Diego-developed torso and head. It had an exoskeletal master controller with kinematic equivalency and spatial correspondence of the torso, arms, and head. Its vision system consisted of two 525-line video cameras each having a 35 degree field of view and video camera eyepiece monitors mounted in an aviator's helmet.

Greenman provided SSC San Diego with valuable experience in teleoperation and telepresence issues and designs. Even with its simple claw hands and no force or tactile feedback, novice operators could readily perform manipulative tasks without training. However, it clearly showed that dextrous hands, force feedback, and a high-resolution vision system were necessary for diver-equivalent work capability. Also the Greenman was not designed for in-water use, and demonstration of in-water work was deemed necessary to fully demonstrate the diver-equivalency concept. These shortcomings were later addressed in the TOPS project.

Additional photographs and movie from the Greenman project:

1.4 MB MPEG Movie

• Shimamoto, M.S., "TeleOperator/telePresence System (TOPS) Concept Verification Model (CVM) Development," in Recent Advances in Marine Science and Technology, '92, Saxena, N.K., ed., Pacon International, Honolulu, HI, pp. 97-104.

• Hightower, J.D. and Smith, D.C., "Teleoperator Technology Development," Proc. of the 12th Meeting of the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resource, San Francisco, CA, 1983.
• Hightower, J.D., Smith, D.C., and Wiker, S.F., "Development of Remote Presence Technology for Teleoperator Systems," 14th Meeting of the United States-Japan Natural Resources Committee, 1986.

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Last update: 11 December 1998.