Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!sdd.hp.com!think.com!linus!philabs!ttidca!hollombe
From: hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Memory Metals
Message-ID: <21147@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 12 Nov 90 20:13:52 GMT
References: <0093F732.C4DCDA20@EA.USL.EDU>
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 62

In article <0093F732.C4DCDA20@EA.USL.EDU> leecemb@EA.USL.EDU writes:
}Has anyone ever used or heard of someone who has used memory metals in robots.  

The following is the text of a sheet handed out by Robot World at the
Robots and Machine Vision conference, minus some spelling errors and
meaningless hype:

=========================
DH-101 BIOMETAL ROBOT ARM

Presenting the silent, motorless robot with built in programmer,
computer link, and rechargeable battery for seven hours of remote
operation.

The Toki Biometal Arm uses specially developed biometal wires and
electronic pulses to produce a noiseless, computer controlled, robotic
operation.

Bio-metal is a thin wire made of a nickel-titanium alloy which shrinks
linearly to its original length when an electrical current is applied.

BIOMETAL ARM FEATURES

Manual operation -- with an ordinary joystick to control the arm directly.

The system controller -- allowing programming directly by reproducing the
arm's movements with a "teach in" memory control.

computer control -- from the printer interface of an IBM compatible
computer.

The DH-101 consists of five axes which are controlled by six separate
bio-metal wires.  The robot movement and joints are designed to compare to
those of a human arm, and the control switches are labeled accordingly.
=========================

I saw what I think was a miniature demo version of the arm at the show.
It was available for ~$500.  It was interesting as a curiosity, but
didn't appear to have much practical use, IMHO.

You can reach Robot World West at:

Robot World West
2650 Villa De La Valle
Del Mar, CA  92014
(619) 259-7893

and Robot World at:

Robot World
Cohoes Commons
1225 Jefferson Road
Rochester, NY 14623
(716) 427-8050

I have no connection and have never dealt with either.

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@ttidca.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp(+)TTI             Illegitimis non
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (213) 450-9111, x2483       Carborundum
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {csun | philabs | psivax}!ttidca!hollombe