Canadarm terminology

Well, when you think about it, you maneuver the payload through a series of
pitch, yaw and roll maneuvers, just like an aircraft. But they also refer
to it as operating the arm, maneuvering the manipulator, flying the end
effector, etc.

Mike Ross

"Bruce Palmer" wrote in message
...
Why to they say someone "flys the arm" rather than "operate the arm"?
Is there some significance to this verb? Hours spent operating the
robotic arm(s) wouldn't qualify as pilot time would it?

The shuttle arm uses the same hand controllers with all the same
senses, that the shuttle manual maneuvering system with RCS jets
uses -- an RHC and a THC that are physically identical. So it
'feels' the same. You 'fly' the end effector and the computer
figures out all the individual joint commands, you don't have to.


"Bruce Palmer" wrote in message
...
Why to they say someone "flys the arm" rather than "operate the arm"?
Is there some significance to this verb? Hours spent operating the
robotic arm(s) wouldn't qualify as pilot time would it?

"Bruce Palmer" wrote in message
...
Why to they say someone "flys the arm" rather than "operate the arm"?
Is there some significance to this verb? Hours spent operating the
robotic arm(s) wouldn't qualify as pilot time would it?

Because NASA is made up of lots of aerospace engineers and the astronaut
corps is a combination of people who are engineers and/or pilots. ;-)

Jeff
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"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
.. .

The shuttle arm uses the same hand controllers with all the same
senses, that the shuttle manual maneuvering system with RCS jets
uses -- an RHC and a THC that are physically identical. So it
'feels' the same. You 'fly' the end effector and the computer
figures out all the individual joint commands, you don't have to.

More signs that it was developed by aerospace engineers and "flown" by
pilots. ;-)

Jeff
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Remove icky phrase from email address to get a valid address.

And the Nasa folk keep calling it Canada-arm for some reason.

I think the term fly is used when carrying something just above the surface
of something, at least that is probably how it was meant to be used.

I was impressed by the apparent accuracy and controllability of these
devices.

I noted however, that the moving of really heavy things, like the mplm,
occasionally caused the station to lose its attitude lock.

Brian

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"Bruce Palmer" wrote in message
...
Why to they say someone "flys the arm" rather than "operate the arm"? Is
there some significance to this verb? Hours spent operating the robotic
arm(s) wouldn't qualify as pilot time would it?

"Brian Gaff" wrote in
. uk:

And the Nasa folk keep calling it Canada-arm for some reason.

That's what the Canadians like NASA to call it. And the PAOs don't think
"remote manipulator system" rolls off the tongue.

I think the term fly is used when carrying something just above the
surface of something, at least that is probably how it was meant to be
used.

I consider "flying" the arm to be a subset of "operating" the arm. You
"fly" when you're moving the hand controllers, but "operating" the arm also
involves entries on computer displays and switch throws.

--
JRF

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