The MEDUSA is a cable-driven manipulator developed for use with the JASON ROV, with special end-effectors (amphorae-grabber to remove amphorae from a roman shipwreck) to perform numerous underwater sampling missions (sampling geological formations such as underwater smokers).
The whole robot arm was controlled and monitored from a remote control console which was built to be portable and self-sufficient.
The MEDUSA was also tested as part of a more rigorous Ph.D. thesis in order to compare it to other customary transmissions, such as cycloidals, planetaries, harmonic drive, etc. A picture of the transmissions considered is shown below:
Results of the experiments are contained within my thesis, which is listed in my references.
