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Canadarm et Canadarm2

Comparative table

Canadarm

Canadarm2

Location

Installed on each shuttle and returns to Earth.

Only one installed on the International Space Station and stays permanently in space.

Range of Motion

Reach limited to length of arm.

Moves end-over-end to reach many parts of International Space Station limited only by number of Power Date Grapple Fixtures on the Station (PDGF). PDGFs located around the Station provide power, data and video to the arm through its Latching End Effectors (LEE). The arm can also travel the entire length of the Space Station on the Mobile Base System.

Fixed joint

Fixed to the shuttle by one end.

No fixed end. Equipped with LEEs at each end.

Degrees of freedom

6 degrees of freedom.

Similar to a human arm: shoulder (2 joints), elbow (1 joint), and wrist (3 joints).

7 degrees of freedom.

Much like a human arm: shoulder (3 joints), elbow (1 joint), wrist (3 joints). However Canadarm2 can change configuration without moving its hands.

Joint rotation

Limited elbow rotation (to 160 degrees).

Full joint rotation. Joints (7) rotate 540 degrees. Larger range of motion than a human arm.

Senses

No sense of touch

Force mouvement sensors provide a sense of “touch.”

Automatic vision feature for capturing free-flying payloads.

Automatic collision avoidance.

Length

15 metres

17 metres

Weight

410 kg

1,641 kg

Diameter

33 cm (Ext. Diameter of Composite Boom)

35 cm (Ext. Diameter of Composite Boom)

Speed of Operations

Unloaded: 60 cm/sec
Loaded: 6 cm/sec

Unloaded: 37 cm/sec
Loaded: Station assembly 2 cm/sec.; EVA support:15 cm/sec.; Orbiter: 1.2 cm/sec

Composition

16 plies of high modulus carbon fibre-epoxy

19 plies of high strength carbon fibre–thermoplastic

Repairs

Repaired on Earth.

Designed to be repaired in space with ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units). Built-in redundancy.

Control

Autonomous operation or astronaut control

Cameras

2 (one on the elbow and one on the wrist)

4 colour cameras (one at each side of the elbow the other two on the LEEs)