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Central Research Laboratories (CRL) was founded in 1945 and planned as a technically orientated, high quality, small lot, precision manufacturing and engineering company. This criteria has proved to be very descriptive of CRL over the course of time. After over 50 years of operation CRL has emerged as the world leader in the design, development and production of Master-Slave Manipulators (MSM). CRL has manufactured and delivered over 8000 MSM's with installations in over 25 different countries. This represents about 70% of the free world market. The first MSM, the Model 1, was publicly demonstrated by its inventor, Ray Goertz, at the Argonne National Laboratory of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in 1949. The terminology comes from earlier usage in mechanical and electrical terminology in which a device which is responsive to another device is termed a "slave" and the controlling device is termed a "master". The Model 1 defined the essential characteristics a remote handling device must have to be termed a "Master-Slave Manipulator." The basic features which characterize an MSM are:The motion of the slave arm must possess six independent degrees of freedom, three of translation and three of rotation to position the gripping device and a tong squeeze motion to grip items. The motion of the slave arm must be coupled to the master arm so the position and direction of the two arms correspond. The coupling between the two arms must be bilateral. This important concept means that forces at the slave end must be reflected to the master end and displacements produced at the slave end must be able to produce a displacement at the master end. Another way to state this important concept is to say the manipulator must be back-drivable or compliant. This means that the slave arm must be able to align itself in response to the constraints imposed by the task being done. A classic example of this concept is the ability of an MSM to rotate a crank which follows a constrained path. The first manipulators developed under the direction of Ray Goertz at Argonne were designed to be installed with the slave arm penetrating the ceiling of a shielded cell. Space above the cell was required to accommodate installation and manipulator motions. Shielding of the slave arm penetration through the ceiling was difficult. Models of this type which found considerable use were the Model 4 and Model 7. When the need was recognized for better shielding than could be provided by the Model 4 or 7, the Model 6B was developed at Argonne. The Model 6B was the first manipulator design to penetrate only the vertical shielding wall of the cell. In one version of the 6B, a horizontal slot had to be provided in the vertical wall so the manipulator could be rotated 90, from its normal position and installed. In another version, the slave end was disconnected from the master end and reconnected after the thru tube was installed into a hole in the vertical wall just large enough to accept the thru tube. This version required that the cell be entered for installation, removal, or any maintenance required on the slave arm. Central Research Laboratories' participation in the Master-Slave Manipulator market began in 1950. CRL, through previous associations with Ray Goertz and Argonne, obtained drawings of the Model 1 MSM and manufactured two sets of manipulators in 1950 for experimentation and testing by CRL. These two manipulators were sold to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1951 and became CRL's first sale of MSM's. During the time period from 1951 through 1954, CRL manufactured and delivered 74 sets of MSM's. These manipulators were Model 4, 6B and 7 types. Some of the notable customers were:Oak Ridge National Laboratory