Abstract: By means of a suitable data entry device such as an electronic digitizing tablet or graph board, items of data respectively defining the original configuration of a roughly sketched object and the desired final proportions thereof are entered into a stored table called a "pointing sequence list" (PSL), which is capable of storing all of the information required to define both the original form and the desired final configuration of the object. Initially the PSL contains positional entries representing the coordinates of definitive points on the roughly sketched object and dimensional entries specifying the proportions which the object is to have in its final delineation, all arranged in an order corresponding to a predefined pointing sequence which is followed by the operator when he enters the necessary items of graphic information into the system.

Abstract: A six degree of freedom force transducer is provided on a manipulator's hand and includes a plurality of I-beam modules having strain gauges on the flat surfaces of the thin legs of each I-beam for measuring the bending moments of each leg. According to one embodiment, a pair of strain gauges are located on each side of the leg, providing a total of four gauges in each leg. The end bells of each I-beam are adapted to be rigidly interconnected with either other I-beams, structural members of the manipulator fingers, the drive member for the manipulator, or to intermediate coupling blocks designed to rigidly interconnect I-beams. A plurality of I-beams and interconnecting blocks can be connected in various configurations to provide a determination by the strain gauges of the six components of forces and moments which are applied by forces and moments on the fingers of the manipulator system.