A NASA life – size mechanical robot will be
going up for auction this month. RR Auction
upcoming lot sale is one of the biggest and most important live auctions they
have had this year and it includes many other valuable rarities and remarkable
items. Among these collectibles there is an autographed picture of Martin
Luther King Jr., a suit wore by Johnny Cash on the Johnny Cash Show and a
unique letter signed by Al Capone sent from prison to his son, Sonny.
In an interview for WMUR
Robert Livingston, the Executive Vice President of RR Auction, states that one
of the main reason why this item is so uniquely valuable is the fact that
certain parts for it were manufactured in Manchester, New Hampshire by Easton
Electronics. As a result, the dummy designed for NASA is somewhat part of local
history.
The hydraulically powered robot was especially
built for NASA in order to test space suits. The dummy can simulate about 35
basic human body movements, including shaking hands and move both legs and
arms. Additionally, the robot had torque sensors at every joint in order to be
able to gather concrete information regarding the forces that the human body
had to withstand in a pressurized space suit.
However, the project was dropped due to
some minor leaking issues. As it turns out the pressure of the movement was too
much for the tubes to handle and they were leaking oil. Researchers tried to
fix the problem by fitting the robot in a scuba suit, but in the end they did
not want to risk ruining the suits.
There were only two dummies ever made,
which makes this collectible even more valuable. Apart from the one being
auctioned off this month there is another one currently displayed at the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
