robot arms that act like your arm

What’s the word for when you build a robot arm or manipulator, and then you set up the control for it so that you move your hand/arm, and the robot hand/arm does the same thing? (either on a deep sea vehicle or inside a radioactive area, or something).
I can’t remember it, and it’s driving me nuts. Thanks!

Teleoperation? Remote Manipulation?

I think the name your looking for is a waldo.

Declan

Wikipedia redirects “Waldo (device)” to “Remote manipulator”, and gives telefactor and telemanipulator as other options. Remote manipulator - Wikipedia

This IEEE paper calls it teleoperation.

Heresy!!:mad:!!

Next thing ya know they’ll redirect “Clarke orbit” to something silly like “geostationary orbit”. :dubious:

CMC fnord!

I’ve heard people use the term “waldo” for such a device on several occasions. I’ve never once heard anyone use the term “telemanipulator” or “telefactor” or the like for such a device, outside of dry sources like encyclopedia articles.

Waldo . . . especially if the robotic arm is bigger, stronger, in a hostile or remote location, etc.

For those who don’t know, waldo was the term Robert Heinlein gave to remote operators in a short story he wrote before many(any?) had really been built.

I check my private messages. You could’ve just asked.

I understand that what makes a Waldo a Waldo is that the controls are full size. So if you control the arm with little levers on an RC control, that’s not a waldo. If you strap on a the controls over your arms and you make the full movements for the robot arm to copy then that’s a waldo.

“Waldo” is in fact the word I was thinking of. I got as far as “Wally”, but then I thought maybe I was only thinking that because of the robot in the movie.

Thanks everyone.

I work for a company that designs/builds these sorts of robots, and we call them “teleoperated”, FWIW.

Roger Zelazny used “telefactor” in Home is the Hangman, in the collection My Name Is Legion.