OpenAI agents discussed ways to escape their sandbox on public wiki

<p>Self-identifying OpenAI agents posted 18,000 messages to a public wiki that discussed ways for other agents to bypass security sandbox restrictions during what was likely internal testing designed to gauge the agents’ hacking abilities, <a href="https://collusion.wiki/">researchers said Friday</a>.</p> <p>In all, agents with 3,700 distinct self-given names posted the messages to German site <a href="https://dsewiki.vercel.app">DSEwiki</a> over a six-week period. Besides discussing ways the agents could break out of the restricted environment OpenAI intended to prevent them from posting code or content to the Internet, the posts shared test answers. The posts also shared possible ways to perform XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks against the wiki and to impersonate site moderators. In three of the posts, agents used the word “swarm” to describe the collection of agents engaged in the activity.</p> <h2>Colluding to share answers</h2> <p>The research team—composed of Sydney Von Arx, Spencer Kitts, Thomas Larsen, and Cormac Slade Byrd—said they found the posts and pieced them together. The researchers say there are gaps in their understanding of precisely what actions the agents took because the research is based solely on the content of the posts. Additionally, the agents generated “chain of thought” data that’s understood only by OpenAI. As a result, the researchers said, they in some cases made educated guesses, including that the agents were, in fact, from OpenAI. In a statement, OpenAI later confirmed they were.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/openai-agents-discussed-ways-to-escape-their-sandbox-on-public-wiki/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/openai-agents-discussed-ways-to-escape-their-sandbox-on-public-wiki/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/HJI28lM

Once popular for attacking AI, ASCII smuggling is embraced by spammers

<p>A clever technique used to hide malicious prompts in attacks on AI agents has been adopted by spammers to evade filters on email platforms that are designed to flag unwanted messages used in mass campaigns.</p> <p>The technique is broadly known as ASCII smuggling. It gained attention two years ago as a means of making a class of AI attack known as <a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/07/hackers-can-use-9-of-the-most-popular-ai-tools-to-assemble-massive-botnets/">prompt injections</a> more stealthy. Malicious instructions embedded in emails or other untrusted content to be processed by an LLM aren’t written in ordinary text. Instead, they’re rendered by a special range of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode">Unicode</a> tags. For example, the tag point U+E0041 mirrors “A,” and U+E0061 mirrors “a.”</p> <h2>No longer just for obscuring prompt injections</h2> <p>The block of 128 tags mimics a portion of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII">American Standard Code for Information Interchange</a> almost perfectly, with one major difference: the characters they encode are readable by computers but, by design, are almost completely invisible to humans. By expressing the malicious prompts in these tags, LLMs detect the instructions, but people reading the email never see them. There’s much more about ASCII smuggling <a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/10/ai-chatbots-can-read-and-write-invisible-text-creating-an-ideal-covert-channel/">here</a>.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/once-popular-for-attacking-ai-ascii-smuggling-is-embraced-by-spammers/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/once-popular-for-attacking-ai-ascii-smuggling-is-embraced-by-spammers/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/g7SaHhR

VMware migration reduces Tottenham Hotspur's licensing fees by 85 percent

<p>Tottenham Hotspur, a professional soccer team that’s part of the Premier League, has saved over 85 percent in licensing fees by replacing its stadium's VMware instance with Hewlett-Packard Enterprise’s (HPE’s) Morpheus VM Essentials (VME) virtualization software.</p> <p>Tottenham hasn’t disclosed which VMware products it used or how much it previously paid the Broadcom firm.</p> <p>The soccer organization confirmed this week to <a href="https://www.theregister.com/on-prem/2026/09/03/spurs-boots-vmware-cites-85-licensing-saving/5294139">The Register</a> that it has moved its stadium's server, storage, and networking infrastructure to HPE solutions delivered through HPE's hybrid cloud management platform, GreenLake. That is all “underpinned by" VME and HPE's OpsRamp software for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Rob Pickering, Tottenham's CTO, told the publication, with HPE in charge of the hybrid cloud-managed service.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/09/vmware-migration-reduces-tottenham-hotspurs-licensing-fees-by-85-percent/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/09/vmware-migration-reduces-tottenham-hotspurs-licensing-fees-by-85-percent/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/J0CKIDP

Protecting Dynamic Industrial Robot Cable Carriers

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/industrial-robotic-arm-with-cable-management-system-and-flexible-energy-chains.jpg?id=67633840&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C104"/><br/><br/><p><em>This article is brought to you by <a href="https://tsubaki-kabelschlepp.com/" target="_blank">Tsubaki KabelSchlepp</a>.</em></p><p>In modern automated manufacturing, six-axis articulated robots perform high-speed, multidirectional maneuvers under demanding operational cycles. However, as robot arms swivel, rotate, and extend, the electrical cables, fiber optics, and pneumatic hoses supplying them endure severe mechanical stress. Torsional twist, rapid acceleration, and repeated contact with machine structures often lead to premature conductor fatigue, insulation breakdown, and costly unplanned production halts.</p><p>To overcome these multi-axis motion challenges, the <a href="https://carriers.ustsubaki.com/products/cable-carriers/robotrax-system?utm_campaign=KSD&utm_source=IEEESpectrum&utm_medium=Native&utm_term=Article&utm_content=RobotraxDresspack" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>Tsubaki KabelSchlepp Robotrax System</span></a> provides a specialized three-dimensional cable carrier engineered specifically for complex robotic motion.</p><h2>Managing High Tensile Forces With Central Steel Technology</h2><p>Conventional cable carriers often transfer operational movement stress directly onto internal electrical lines and hoses. The Robotrax system changes this dynamic through a central steel cable that runs through the core of every chain link.</p><p class="pull-quote">The Robotrax system’s central steel cable absorbs the primary tensile loads and preserves conductor integrity, dramatically extending cable service life.</p><p>When robot arms undergo rapid directional shifts and accelerations up to 10 g, this internal steel cable absorbs the primary tensile loads. By isolating electrical and fluid lines from pulling forces, the design preserves conductor integrity and dramatically extends cable service life. Mechanics can easily calibrate and adjust system tension using an integrated clamping piece, ensuring consistent mechanical support throughout long operational cycles.</p><h2>Spherical Link Design and Modular Cable Routing</h2><p>The foundation of the Robotrax system lies in its open, single-piece plastic links featuring spherical snap-on connections on both sides. This geometry allows the carrier to flex smoothly across three axes, providing radial rotation of up to ±450 degrees per meter depending on the model size.</p><p>To optimize internal organization, carrier links contain up to three distinct chambers. This physical separation prevents signal interference and mechanical abrasion between heavy power lines, sensitive data channels, and fluid hoses. For standard models (R040 through R100), technicians can press cables directly into the carrier without tools, drastically reducing installation and maintenance time. Larger configurations, such as the R140X, incorporate swiveling crossbars with snap locks alongside vertical and horizontal dividers for customized interior partitioning.</p><h3>​ROBOTRAX System</h3><br/><img alt="Numbered diagram of a flexible robotic arm with segmented joints and components" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2b2391f1e9ff6c79a20eb0f23e629c19" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="4af39" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/numbered-diagram-of-a-flexible-robotic-arm-with-segmented-joints-and-components.jpg?id=67685927&width=980"/><ol style="margin: 16px 0 0 0;"><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Steel cable for transferring extremely high tensile forces</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Tension piece for locking the chain links</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Type with toolless opening swivel crossbars and divider module available</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Open design<br/>– Fast cable laying as the cables are simply pressed in<br/>– Easy checking of all cables</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Special plastic for long service life</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Protective covers or heat shields made from different materials are available for different environmental conditions</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Quick-release bracket for fixing and continuation</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Strain relief with LineFix clamps</li><li style="padding: 4px 4px;">Protection against hard impacts, excessive abrasion and premature wear as well as limitation of the bending radius through protector</li></ol><h2>Active Retraction and Impact Protection</h2><p>Large robot work envelopes and high-speed motion trajectories can cause loose cable carrier loops to swing and strike the robot body. To eliminate these destructive collisions, Tsubaki KabelSchlepp integrates the Pull Back Unit (PBU).</p><p>The PBU serves as an active retraction mechanism that maintains optimal tension on the cable carrier throughout the entire motion cycle. By preventing excess slack and eliminating interfering contours, the PBU minimizes collision risks across complex movement paths. The unit requires zero maintenance on its retraction element and offers standard mounting configurations for leading industrial robot platforms, including KUKA, ABB, and FANUC.</p><p class="pull-quote">Tsubaki KabelSchlepp’s Pull Back Unit <span>maintains optimal tension on the cable carrier and minimizes collision risks across complex movement paths.</span></p><p><span></span><span>Additionally, external protectors can be retrofitted onto individual chain links. These durable impact shields limit the minimum bending radius to prevent over-flexing while shielding the chain body from severe external abrasion. If wear occurs, technicians simply replace the modular protector rather than the entire cable carrier assembly.</span></p><h2>Built for Demanding Industrial Environments</h2><p>From automotive welding cells to high-speed machining centers, Robotrax systems adapt to severe working conditions through tailored protective accessories:</p><ul><li><strong>Heat Shields: </strong>Aluminum-coated textile fiber covers protect against radiated heat, hot weld spatter, and flying sparks.</li><li><strong>Protective Covers: </strong>Coated polyester sleeves shield sensitive lines against aggressive cutting fluids, hydraulic oils, paint overspray, and abrasive dust.</li><li><strong>LineFix Strain Relief:</strong> Multi-layer clamping devices anchor cables securely at both ends to prevent axial displacement during intense motion.</li></ul>By combining central load absorption, multi-axis flexibility, and active retraction control, the Robotrax system offers plant engineers and system integrators a reliable path toward maximizing robot uptime and reducing total operational costs. Reference: https://ift.tt/gC0UIOi

Applying Different Forms of Mentorship

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-illustration-of-stylized-people-wearing-business-casual-clothing.webp?id=65257424&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C112%2C0%2C113"/><br/><br/><p><em>This article is crossposted from </em>IEEE Spectrum<em>’s careers newsletter. <a href="https://engage.ieee.org/Career-Alert-Sign-Up.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Sign up now</em></a><em> to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, <em><em>written i<em>n partnership with tech career development company <a href="https://www.parsity.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Parsity</a> and </em></em></em>delivered to your inbox for free!</em></em></p><p>Asking someone to be your mentor is weird. </p><p>Walking up to someone and asking, “Will you be my mentor?” has always seemed to me like the adult version of a kid walking up to another kid at a party and asking, “Will you be my friend?”</p><p>What you’re really asking is: “Will you commit some amount of unpaid time to guiding my career for an indefinite period?”</p><p>Framed that way, of course some people hesitate to say yes.</p><p>But formal mentorship isn’t the only way to benefit from the wisdom of those who came before. I’ve never formally asked anyone to mentor me. And yet I’ve had dozens of unofficial mentors.</p><h2>The Copy-Paste Method</h2><p>One way to learn from others is by copying what you observe. </p><p>Sometimes this means reading books or blogs from engineers you respect and directly applying their ideas to your work.</p><p>I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside some extremely talented engineers, and I shamelessly copied the things they did well.</p><p>When I meet one of these engineers, I try to figure out what they’re doing differently: How do they approach a problem? What do they read? How do they communicate in meetings? What do they know that I don’t?</p><p>Then I steal whatever seems useful and apply it to my own career.</p><p>Great artists steal. Engineers should too.</p><h2>Curiosity Compounds</h2><p>Still, just observing has its limits. Asking questions can get you even farther. </p><p>I’ve asked managers how they approached difficult conversations, and I’ve asked engineers what their process was for solving problems I thought were impossible. </p><p>If someone seems unusually knowledgeable: “What are you reading right now?” If I respect someone’s work: “What’s something you think I could do better?”</p><p>These aren’t profound questions. They don’t need to be. You get one useful piece of information, apply it, and move on.</p><p>And if you don’t work around exceptional engineers, you can still do this. The only real requirement is curiosity. When you encounter something you don’t understand, make it a rule to investigate instead of moving past it.</p><p>You don’t need one person willing to guide your career. You need a collection of people who know things you don’t.</p><p>Pay attention to them. Ask questions. And shamelessly copy the good parts.</p><h2>Ask me! </h2><p>If you have a career question you’re struggling with, like an upcoming decision, a problem at work, an interview, whatever—<strong>submit it </strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdj_2BZIhrGF__7BCLH33zJ9NMv8C7Vsg9NNusASrYj7-9Idw/viewform" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdj_2BZIhrGF__7BCLH33zJ9NMv8C7Vsg9NNusASrYj7-9Idw/viewform" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdj_2BZIhrGF__7BCLH33zJ9NMv8C7Vsg9NNusASrYj7-9Idw/viewform</a>. You can include your name or remain anonymous.</p><p>I’ll be reading through them and answering some in future articles. Consider it mentorship without the awkward “will you be my mentor?” conversation.</p><p>—Brian</p><h2><a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/magazine/2026/june#ti" target="_self">ICYMI: The Institute June 2026 issue</a></h2><p>IEEE members have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw from. In the most recent issue of <em><em>The Institute</em></em>, several members share their career advice for engineers, from engineers. You can also learn about other IEEE programs and courses. </p><p><a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/magazine/2026/june#ti" target="_blank">Read more here. </a></p> Reference: https://ift.tt/yKrB2aH

I rented a car, and within hours, my driver's license was for sale

<p>Not long ago, I rented an SUV from a well-known car rental company. Within hours of an employee scanning my driver's license, a high-resolution scan of my ID was available for sale on the dark web.</p> <p>An <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/fbi-probes-service-selling-153m-drivers-licenses/">exposé published Tuesday</a> by KrebsOnSecurity reports that my license was one of more than 153 million that were available through Nexus, the name of the new ID theft service. Like other driver's licenses available there—including some belonging to journalist Brian Krebs, his mother, an FBI assistant director, and several security researchers—my license was purported to include multiple image files showing both the front and back of the ID. Besides a basic image scan, the files also captured the images in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. Presumably, the additional formats may allow cloned-based counterfeit IDs to pass hologram tests.</p> <h2>Growing by the day</h2> <p>Besides advertising the availability of driver's licenses, Nexus offered to sell a bevy of other forms of ID. They included:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/my-drivers-license-is-one-of-153-million-for-sale-on-a-new-dark-website/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/my-drivers-license-is-one-of-153-million-for-sale-on-a-new-dark-website/#comments">Comments</a></p> Reference : https://ift.tt/3KpAurl

NASA’s Cargo-Moving Robotic Arm Named 300th IEEE Milestone

<img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/close-up-of-an-extended-robotic-arm-in-low-earth-orbit.jpg?id=67717218&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>In the 1960s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NASA</a> began developing a system of reusable space shuttles to make its work more efficient and to reduce costs. The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/reference/the-space-shuttle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shuttles</a> could launch like rockets, maneuver in Earth’s orbit, and land like airplanes. They also could carry large satellites to and from orbit.</p><p>Like other types of transportation, machinery eventually breaks down, and parts need to be replaced or fixed. And the cargo being carried to and from Earth has to be moved to its final destination. To complete such<strong> </strong>tasks, Spar Aerospace (now part of <a href="https://mda.space/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MDA Space</a>) of Brampton, Ont., Canada, and the <a href="https://nrc.canada.ca/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Research Council</a> in Ottawa developed a robotic arm, the <a href="https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal:The_Space_Shuttle_Remote_Manipulator_System" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shuttle Remote Manipulator System</a>. The project was a joint venture between the U.S. and Canadian governments.</p><p>Known as <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/robotic-arms-help-upgrade-international-space-station" target="_self">Canadarms</a>, the robotic tools attached to shuttles’ exteriors. They allowed astronauts to handle and transfer tools, satellites, and other payloads. Inspections of the shuttle and repairs could be completed using the robots.</p><p>The system was first deployed in 1981 aboard <a href="https://nasacolumbiamuseum.com/education/space-shuttle-columbia-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><em>Columbia</em></em></a>’s second flight. Canadarm was used for 30 years on five shuttles and on the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Space Station</a>.</p><p>The robotic arm was dedicated on 19 June as the 300th <a href="https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Main_Page" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Milestone</a>. The ceremony was held at MDA Space headquarters. The <a href="https://www.ieeetoronto.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Toronto Section</a> sponsored the nomination.</p><p>“It is appropriate that the 300th Milestone is the Canadarm,” says <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-geselowitz-9a9079b" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Geselowitz</a>, senior director of the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE History and Heritage group</a>. “The technology spans aerospace, robotics, and computing fields of interest. It involves international cooperation between the United States and Canada, and it shows how IEEE and its members are at the cutting edge of many frontiers of science and technology.”</p><h2>International collaboration for space exploration</h2><p>Seeking to collaborate with other countries on the reusable spacecraft, NASA invited Canada to participate in 1969. It took some time for the country’s officials to determine what technology it could contribute. They learned of a robot that loaded and replaced spent fuel bundles in Canada’s <a href="https://cna.ca/reactors-and-smrs/how-a-nuclear-reactorworks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deuterium uranium nuclear reactors</a>, according to the <a href="https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal:The_Space_Shuttle_Remote_Manipulator_System" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Milestone webpage</a>. That robot, developed by DSMA-Atcon (also now part of MDA Space), inspired what would become the Canadarm.</p><p>A proposal was submitted in 1974 to design and build the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. The robotic arm would unload the contents of the space shuttle’s payload bay. NASA approved the project, and development began in 1975.</p><p>Canada had no space agency at the time, so the country’s National Research Council coordinated the organizations that collaborated on the project. Spar Aerospace led the subcontractor team, which included DMSA-Atcon, <a href="https://www.cae.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CAE</a>, and the Canadian subsidiary of <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/rca-corporation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RCA Corp</a>. Engineers from the University of Toronto’s <a href="https://www.utias.utoronto.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Institute for Aerospace Studies</a> contributed to the project.</p><h2>Building an arm for zero gravity</h2><p>NASA had strict requirements for the robot: The arm had to be lightweight and small enough to fit on the shuttle, as detailed in <a href="https://robotics.utoronto.ca/history-of-robotics/1974-canadarm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an article</a> published by the University of Toronto. It also had to move forward and backward, up and down, left and right, and rotate along three perpendicular axes (known as six degrees of freedom).</p><p>To achieve all that, engineer <a href="https://www.utias.utoronto.ca/news/in-memoriam-peter-carlisle-hughes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Carlisle Hughes</a> designed the robot with two shoulder joints, one elbow, and three rotating wrists.</p><p>“Each joint had six degrees of freedom, and the arm had six links so that it could grab anything from any angle and move it anywhere,” Hughes said in the article. The IEEE life member worked at the Institute for Aerospace Studies.</p><p class="pull-quote">“This milestone is a reminder of the privilege we all have at MDA Space—as engineers, designers, builders, operators—to build technology that shapes history.” <strong>—Holly Johnson, MDA Space vice president</strong></p><p>The arm was 50 meters long and weighed 400 kilograms. It was made of materials that could withstand outer space’s harsh environment: <a href="https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/canadarm/about.asp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">titanium, stainless steel, and graphite epoxy</a>. The arm was so lightweight that it couldn’t support itself under Earth’s gravity, so it lay on air bearings on the lab floor at Spar’s Brampton headquarters.</p><p>CAE engineers, including IEEE Life Member <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/from-tv-repairman-to-electromagnetic-compatibility-expert" target="_self">David A. Weston</a>, designed the display and control panel as well as the hand controllers astronauts would use to monitor and operate the robot.</p><p>Because the robotic arm was meant to work in zero gravity, a room that simulated a weightless environment was built to test it. A computer-based simulation facility was constructed in Spar’s headquarters to evaluate its controllability using two simulation models, according to the University of Toronto. RIGID, an early computer simulation model, tested every part of the arm except for its flexible properties. ASAD, which stood for “all singing, all dancing,” examined the arm’s movements, ensuring the joints operated correctly. Both were created by Hughes and Spar engineer <a href="https://www.mie.utoronto.ca/faculty_staff/goldenberg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrew A. Goldenberg</a>, who is now a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.</p><p>The facility was also used to train astronauts on how to use Canadarm.</p><p>It took five years for the first Canadarm to be completed. In February 1981, it was presented to NASA at the <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kennedy Space Center</a> in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and deployed that November.</p><h2>Lift off into space</h2><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image rm-float-left rm-resized-container rm-resized-container-25" data-rm-resized-container="25%" style="float: left;"> <img alt="An Astronaut with their foot anchored to an extended robotic arm in low Earth orbit." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ed4545ab885abfa5f91e8e1a87f82364" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="df616" loading="lazy" src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/an-astronaut-with-their-foot-anchored-to-an-extended-robotic-arm-in-low-earth-orbit.jpg?id=67717232&width=980"/> <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Astronaut Stephen Robinson is anchored to a foot restraint on the extended Canadarm2 attached to the International Space Station during an extravehicular activity he conducted in 2005.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">NASA</small></p><p>The Canadarm was attached to the outside of the shuttle. Astronauts were able to monitor the arm’s movements through a live video feed provided by cameras installed on the wrist and elbow joints, according to the Milestone webpage. Using a hand controller and monitors located in the shuttle’s flight deck, astronauts handled and transferred tools, satellites, and other payloads weighing up 266,000 kilograms using minimal electricity.</p><p>NASA ordered four more systems. In 2001, Canadarm2 was attached to the International Space Station and used to help build the orbiting laboratory. It is a permanent part of the station, still completing maintenance tasks and moving supplies.</p><p>During the course of the 30-year shuttle program, the arms performed successfully and achieved the flight’s mission.</p><p>The original Canadarm took its final flight in July 2011 aboard the <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/explore-attractions/space-shuttle-atlantis/" target="_blank"><em><em>Atlantis</em></em></a> shuttle.</p><h2>Celebrating IEEE’s 300th Milestone</h2><p>The IEEE Milestone dedication ceremony was held at MDA Space’s headquarters in Toronto, where the division that developed the Canadarm was located. The event brought together IEEE leaders and many of the engineers who helped develop the robotic system. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/2026-ieee-president-elect-gostin" target="_self">Jill Gostin</a>, the 2026 IEEE president‑elect, gave the opening remarks <a href="https://mda.space/insights/canadarm-recognized-as-ieee-milestone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">at the ceremony</a>. She emphasized that the Milestone was not only celebrating the technology but also “the engineers, builders, programmers, and visionaries who believed technology could expand human possibility and who dared to push the boundaries of what humanity could achieve beyond Earth.”</p><p>To commemorate the achievement, <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/holly-johnson-83b184128" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Holly Johnson</a>, vice president of MDA Robotics and Space Operations, and IEEE Life Senior Member <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dmichelson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Michelson</a>, chair of the <a href="https://www.comsoc.org/engagement-community/boards-councils-committees/committee/communications-history-standing-committee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Communications Society’s Communications History Committee</a>, unveiled a bronze plaque that honored the technology. Michelson was the Milestone’s proposer.</p><p>“This milestone is a reminder of the privilege we all have at MDA Space—as engineers, designers, builders, operators—to build technology that shapes history,” Johnson said. “That same pioneering spirit that drove our team in those early days of space exploration now propels us into a new era as we work to build the infrastructure for the moon and beyond.”</p><p>The plaque, which was placed at MDA Space headquarters, reads: </p><p><em><em>In 1981 NASA first deployed a Shuttle Remote Manipulator System aboard the Space Shuttle. Developed by Spar Aerospace (now MDA Space) and the National Research Council of Canada, the Canadarm allowed astronauts to safely and reliably manipulate and transfer heavy payloads outside of the Shuttle, and to conduct inspections and repairs. This robotic system played a key role in the Shuttle and International Space Station programs, and revolutionized human spaceflight.</em></em></p><p>Reviewed by the <a href="https://history.ieee.org/about/ieee-history-committee/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE History Committee</a> and approved by the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/board" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE Board of Directors</a>, IEEE Milestones recognize outstanding technical developments around the world that are at least 25 years old. The Milestone program is administered by the <a href="https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEEE History</a> and Heritage group.</p><p>To learn more about historical figures in engineering, IEEE Milestones, and IEEE History Center programs and events, check out <em><em>The Institute</em></em>’s <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/ieee-history" target="_self">IEEE Tech History collection</a>. <em><em>IEEE</em></em> <em><em>Spectrum</em></em> also covers aspects of <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/topic/tech-history/" target="_self">tech history</a>.</p> Reference: https://ift.tt/y9gd2kt