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Mars Lander's Robot Arm Shuts Down To Save Itself

Posted by kdawson on from the doctor-it-hurts-when-i-do-dat dept.

Cowards Anonymous passes along a PCWorld article that begins, "The robotic arm on the Mars Lander found itself in a tough position over the weekend. After receiving instructions for a movement that would have damaged its wrist, the robotic arm recognized the problem, tried to rectify it and then shut down before it could damage itself, according to Ray Arvidson, a co-investigator for the Mars Lander's robotic arm team and a professor at Washington University in St. Louis."

3 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Re:In other words by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Exactly. This is about as newsworthy as a slip-clutch doing what it was designed to do.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  2. Re:In other words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I had a hard time deciphering which lander they meant until I read the article.

    For those who are in the dark, they're talking about Phoenix, not Spirit or Opportunity.

  3. Of course! by Griim · · Score: 1, Redundant

    It was just following The Second Law of Robotics!