This utility allows examination and on-line modification of all variables in a process. While the arm was running, it was possible to change the characteristics of each joint and observe the results without stopping to recompile and reload the software. In a single operating session of a few hours it was therefore possible to make a complete pass at optimizing all six joints in the system. The complete checkout, debugging and optimization of the RMSS on site took several weeks, including the inevitable hardware component failures and software modifications typical of first-time operation of a complex system. Astronauts from NASA's Johnson Spaceflight Center who had been trained on the RMS were able to use the RMSS with only a few minutes of explanation of the essential differences.
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Updated February 2001.