Canon EOS 5D
ƒ/5
24 mm
1/50
800

I found a ladder on the shop floor. =)

“Canadarm 2 is a larger and more sophisticated version of the robotic arm built for the space shuttle.

The new arm also has a hand on either end so one can latch onto the space station while the other end reaches out and picks up things that it needs. Then it can let go and grab on somewhere else.

The real talent in the new design is in its ability to move around where the astronauts most need the robot arm. The Canadarm 2 can crawl along the body of the space station on its two hands, end over end like an inchworm.” (CBC)

14 responses to “Give a Hand to Canadarm 2”

  1. Johan of Denmark Avatar
    Johan of Denmark

    Too cool. Just blows your mind. Thanks for taking us where so few are privileged enough to go… 🙂

    Reply
  2. BenODen Avatar
    BenODen

    Are these destined to go up to the space station to join the Candarm2 that’s already up there? Will they eventually shake each other’s hands?

    Reply
  3. periodic wealth Avatar
    periodic wealth

    "O Canadarm"

    Reply
  4. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    This is the "hand" (that looks like a Hydra to me):

    The Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (a.k.a. "Dextre")

    Reply
  5. andyi Avatar
    andyi

    It it wrong for me to hope that it comes with a pair of giant white four-fingered cartoon gloves?

    Reply
  6. BenODen Avatar
    BenODen

    That’s wild! Like having 3 arms that sprout off your hand. That would be very handy!

    Reply
  7. benjiman Avatar
    benjiman

    Wow, I could use a couple of those around the kitchen!

    Hmmmm… =)

    Reply
  8. CarlaVioleta Avatar
    CarlaVioleta

    Wow!!! This is totally sci fi!!!!!!

    Reply
  9. msamaclean © Avatar
    msamaclean ©

    Thank you for this shot! Too cool! I see the hydra resemblance….;-)

    Reply
  10. !MimosaMicheMichelle! Avatar
    !MimosaMicheMichelle!

    What benjiman said. Well, how about a miniature version.

    Do you realize that there are two Canadians in space?! Each of them from my area, one from Pointe-Claire and the other one from Saint-Hubert (in thought of course…I do not know where it was built). I find that very cool.

    Reply
  11. MathGoulet Avatar
    MathGoulet

    I thought that the canadarm structure was not able to withstand it’s own weight on earth. The lab that I previously worked for designed Sarah, one end effector to fit on one finger of dextre. Interesting photo.

    Reply
  12. P^2 - Paul Avatar
    P^2 – Paul

    The Canadarm can withstand earth gravity (even the 3 Gs of a launch) — it just can’t lift its own weight (let alone a payload). The shop floor at MD Robotics in Brampton uses cool air-cushion "puck" bearings on a smooth floor to give it one degree of freedom for testing. It’s interesting that something so boringly slow is so fascinating.

    Reply
  13. born1945 Avatar
    born1945

    This piece of engineering looks a bit Rube Goldberg.

    Reply
  14. *STARKIT* Avatar
    *STARKIT*

    Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Robots, Automatons, Mainframes and the Silicon Revolution, and we’d love to have this added to the group!

    Reply

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