Newspaper: The Evening Sentinel
Date: April 2, 1979
Title: Nuclear Robot Arrives
Author: United Press International

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (UPI)-An electronically controlled robot, used for jobs in radioactive environments, was shipped to the stricken Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg during the weekend.

Officials here said they are not sure what use it will have at the crippled nuclear plant.

“The monitor manipulator is designed to operate at distances up to 700 feet from its control console,” said Harvey Cobart, Union Carbide’s director of public relations.

The robot, named “Herman,” is controlled by two technicians, who watch on two television monitors. Herman, designed by Carbide scientists in 1966 “walks” on tank-like treads.

Herman has been used twice recently. The robot recovered some lodged nuclear fuel pellets at a facility at the University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., and also carried a dropped radioactive source at the University of the South in Sewanee to safety.