ORACLE - Our First Robot

ORACLE was our first robot though it was seldom called a robot. For years, it carried the dreary name of 'Hydraulic Test Rig' or just 'The Rig'. To many people, in the late seventies, the word 'robot' implied unemployment, de-skilling, labour replacement, and so on. We thought that our machine lacked the universality of a robot - it was just a shearer, nothing else. It was not until we started designing its successor that ORACLE finally earned its name - one to whom one turns for reference or advice.

This chapter presents the concepts from which ORACLE was designed and relates aspects of the construction phase and early trials. Later chapters describe the details of sensing, motion control and surface models.

Click the little picture for a big drawing.

The Vision

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September 1997