perm filename A.XGP[1,VDS]21 blob
sn#212366 filedate 1976-04-21 generic text, type T, neo UTF8
/FONT#1=BDR25/FONT#2=SIGN57/FONT#3=NGR25/FONT#4=NGR20
␈↓↓␈↓α␈↓β␈↓∧␈↓α␈↓ ¬∂VICARM ␈↓ ↓H
␈↓β␈↓ ¬∨154 EAST DANA STREET ␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ¬∃MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. 94041 ␈↓ ↓H
␈↓∧␈↓
+Telephone: ␈↓
+415-965-0557␈↓ ↓H
␈↓↓␈↓ εApril 1, 1976␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
Mr. J. Engleberger␈↓ ↓H
President ␈↓ ↓H
Unimation ␈↓ ↓H
Danbury, Conn.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
Dear Joe:␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ α_Thank␈α∂you␈α∂for␈α∂inviting␈α∂me␈α∂to␈α∞Unimation␈α∞to␈α∞discuss␈α∞our␈α∞joining␈α∞forces␈α∞in␈α∞the␈α∞area␈α∞of␈α∞manipulator␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hdevelopment␈α
and␈α
manufacture.␈α
I␈α
enjoyed␈α
talking␈α
with␈α
you,␈α
Bill␈α
Purzley,␈α
and␈α
Bud␈α
Palmer.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ α_I␈α
have␈α
thought␈α
about␈α
your␈α
proposal␈α
and␈α
have␈α
come␈α
up␈α
with␈α
short␈α
list␈α
of␈α
some␈α
of␈α
the␈α
features␈α
I␈α
would␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hlike␈α
to␈α
see␈α
in␈α
a␈α
continuing␈α
joint␈α
effort.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H1)␈α
I␈αagree␈αthat␈αVicarm␈αwould␈αbecome␈αa␈αwholly␈αowned␈αsubidiary␈αof␈αUnimation...␈αexisting␈αunder␈αthe␈αname␈αof␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HVicarm,␈α
or␈α
Unimation.␈α
The␈α
name␈α
is␈α
not␈α
important.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H2)␈α∞I␈α∞am␈α∞very␈α∞resistant␈α∞to␈α∞moving␈α∞from␈α∞the␈α∞Palo␈α∞Alto,␈α
California␈α
area,␈α
and␈α
thus␈α
would␈α
strongly␈α
prefer␈α
to␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hremain␈α∀in␈α∀this␈α∪area.␈α∪3)␈α∪My␈α∪interests␈α∪are␈α∪in␈α∪the␈α∪area␈α∪of␈α∪advanced␈α∪manipulator␈α∪design␈α∪and␈α∪advanced␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hmanipulator␈α
instrumentation␈α
and␈α
sensor␈α
design.␈α
I␈α
would␈α
like␈α
to␈α
see␈α
my␈α
future␈α
work␈αin␈αthese␈αareas,␈αrather␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hthan␈αin␈αthe␈αarea␈αof␈αmanufacturing␈αand␈αproducing␈αmanipulators.␈αSpecifically,␈αthese␈αareas␈αwould␈αinclude:␈α
New␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hmanipulator␈α
designs,␈α
force␈α
and␈α
touch␈α
sensor␈α
systems,␈α
new␈α
end␈α
effectors,␈α
and␈αmanipulator␈αrelated␈αaccessory␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hdevices,␈αincluding␈αvision␈αsystems,␈αpositioning␈αtables,␈αcomputer␈αbased␈αcontrol␈α
systems,␈α
and␈α
advanced␈α
computer␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hbased␈α
program␈α
and␈α
control␈α
methods.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H4)␈α
I␈α
am␈α
still␈α
considered␈α
a␈α
graduate␈α
student␈α
at␈α
Stanford␈α
University.␈α
I␈α
am␈α
listed␈α
as␈α
a␈αPhD␈αcandidate␈αin␈αthe␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hspecial␈αprogram␈αarea␈αof␈αAutomation.␈αThis␈αis␈αa␈αspecial␈αstudy␈αarea␈αI␈αset␈αup␈αa␈αcouple␈αof␈αyears␈αago.␈αI␈αam␈αstill␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hseriously␈αinterested␈αin␈αcompleting␈αthis␈αPhD␈αprogram,␈αand␈α
the␈α
arrangement␈α
I␈α
want␈α
to␈α
set␈α
up␈α
with␈α
you␈α
should␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hinclude␈α
some␈α
provision␈α
for␈α
this.␈α
I␈α
would␈α
be␈α
willing␈α
to␈α
modify␈α
my␈α
research␈α
to␈α
include␈α
topics␈α
of␈αinterest␈αto␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HUnimation.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H5)␈αVicarm␈αis␈αa␈αsmall␈αcompany␈α
with␈α
sales␈α
of␈α
less␈α
than␈α
$100,000␈α
last␈α
year.␈α
I␈α
find␈α
that␈α
I␈α
am␈α
more␈α
of␈α
an␈α
engineer␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hthan␈αa␈αmanager.␈αIn␈αaddition␈αI␈αrealize␈αthat␈α
continued␈α
expansion␈α
is␈α
a␈α
requirement␈α
for␈α
continued␈α
viability.␈α
I␈α
am␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hhesitant␈α∂to␈α∂continue␈α∂to␈α∂invest␈α∞more␈α∞of␈α∞my␈α∞personal␈α∞resources␈α∞at␈α∞this␈α∞time.␈α∞By␈α∞joining␈α∞with␈α∞Unimation,␈α∞I␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hwould␈α
be␈α
freed␈α
of␈α
some␈α
of␈α
the␈α
financial␈α
and␈αadministrative␈αhassles␈αI␈αcurrently␈αhave,␈αand␈αwould␈αbe␈αable␈αto␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hmore␈α
fully␈α
apply␈α
myself␈α
to␈α
automation␈α
research␈α
and␈α
idea␈α
development.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H6)␈αVicarm␈αhas␈αassets␈αat␈αthe␈αpresent␈αtime.␈αWe␈αhave␈α
paid␈α
up␈α
capital␈α
equipment␈α
in␈α
the␈α
form␈α
of␈α
a␈α
small␈α
machine␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hshop,␈α∞office␈α∞furniture,␈α∞and␈α∞assembly␈α∞and␈α∞test␈α
equipment␈α
and␈α
fixtures.␈α
We␈α
also␈α
have␈α
an␈α
inventory␈α
of␈α
some␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hspare␈αparts,␈αand␈αparts␈αfor␈αfuture␈αorders.␈αFurthur,␈αwe␈αhave␈αan␈αassorted␈αcollection␈αof␈αR␈αand␈αD␈αitems,␈αsuch␈αas␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hdifferent␈αtypes␈α
of␈α
motors,␈α
electronic␈α
components,␈α
and␈α
general␈α
purpose␈α
shop␈α
stock␈α
material.␈α
Our␈α
current␈α
order␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hbacklog␈α∞is␈α∞about␈α∞$40,000␈α∞worth,␈α∞with␈α∞a␈α∞new␈α∞$40,000␈α
order␈α
expected␈α
in␈α
the␈α
next␈α
few␈α
weeks.␈α
To␈α
fulfill␈α
our␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hcurrent␈αorders,␈αmowt␈αof␈αthe␈αinvestment␈αin␈α
component␈α
parts␈α
and␈α
outside␈α
labor␈α
has␈α
been␈α
completed.␈α
Additional␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hinvestment␈αin␈αimproved␈αelectronics␈αand␈αsoftware␈αis␈αstill␈αbeing␈αmade␈αbut␈αis␈αNOT␈αrequired␈αto␈αmeet␈αthe␈αbasic␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hspecifications␈αof␈αthe␈αcurrent␈αcontracts.␈αWe␈αcurrently␈αhave␈αno␈αlarge␈αdebts,␈αand␈αour␈αbank␈αbalance␈αis␈αentirely␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hsufficient␈α
to␈α
enable␈α
delivery␈α
of␈α
all␈α
current␈α
orders.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H7)␈αVicarm␈αhas␈αanother␈αasset...␈α
my␈α
experience␈α
and␈α
knowledge␈α
in␈α
the␈α
field␈α
of␈α
computer␈α
controlled␈α
manipulators.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HThis␈α
includes␈α
the␈α
designs␈α
of␈α
the␈α
Stanford␈α
Arm␈α
the␈α
M.I.T.␈α
Arm,␈α
and␈α
their␈α
accessories.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H8)␈α
I␈α
feel␈α
that␈α
a␈αreasonable␈αarrangement␈αwould␈αinclude␈αthe␈αfollowing-␈αPurchase␈αof␈αthe␈αassets␈αof␈αVicarm,␈αat␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hcurrent␈α
market␈α
rate␈α
in␈α
the␈α
case␈α
of␈α
machine␈α
shop␈α
equipment,␈α
and␈α
office␈α
fixtures.␈α
I␈α
currently␈αestimate␈αthis␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hvalue␈α⊂to␈α⊂be␈α⊂about␈α⊂$15,000.␈α⊂Purchase␈α⊂of␈α⊂the␈α⊂inventory␈α⊂assets␈α∂of␈α∂Vicarm␈α∂excluding␈α∂all␈α∂items␈α∂required␈α∂to␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hcomplete␈α
our␈αcurrent␈αorders.␈αI␈αestimate␈αthis␈αvalue␈αat␈α$8k.␈αPurchase␈αof␈αour␈αtwo␈αdemonstrator␈αmanipulators␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H(currently␈αnearing␈αcompletion),␈α
at␈α
a␈α
value␈α
of␈α
say␈α
$35k␈α
(which␈α
is␈α
30%␈α
below␈α
our␈α
current␈α
selling␈α
price␈α
for␈α
these␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hdevices).␈αA␈αproduction␈αpayments␈αarrangement␈αwith␈αme␈αto␈αextend␈αfor␈α7␈α
years.␈α
This␈α
would␈α
cover␈α
the␈α
two␈α
arms␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hwe␈αcurrently␈αhave␈αand␈αbe␈αat␈αthe␈αrate␈αof␈αsay␈α7%␈αof␈αthe␈αout␈α
the␈α
door␈α
system␈α
price␈α
for␈α
the␈α
first␈α
two␈α
years␈α
and␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hdropping␈α∂1%␈α∂per␈α∂year␈α∂until␈α∂2%␈α∂at␈α∂the␈α∂seventh␈α∂year.␈α∂I␈α∂would␈α∂like␈α∂a␈α∂clause␈α∂to␈α∞allow␈α∞some␈α∞assurance␈α∞that␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hresonable␈α⊃efforts␈α⊃would␈α⊃be␈α⊂made␈α⊂to␈α⊂sell␈α⊂these␈α⊂manipulators.␈α⊂An␈α⊂employment␈α⊂contract␈α⊂for␈α⊂3␈α⊂years␈α⊂with␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HUnimation,␈αat␈αa␈αfull␈αtime␈αsalary␈αof␈α$27,500␈αper␈αyear␈αplus␈α10%␈αper␈αyear␈αcost␈αof␈αliving␈αincrease.(This␈αis␈αlower␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hthat␈αmy␈αrequest␈αearlier,␈αas␈αI␈αfeel␈α
I␈α
would␈α
rather␈α
trade␈α
benefits␈α
and␈α
project␈α
freedom␈α
for␈α
salary.␈α
In␈α
addition,␈α
I␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hwould␈α∞like␈α∞to␈α∞have␈α∞a␈α∞resonable␈α∞chance␈α∞of␈α∞completing␈α∞my␈α∞PhD␈α
during␈α
this␈α
time.␈α
Last,␈α
I␈α
would␈α
want␈α
some␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hassurance␈αthat␈αyou␈αwould␈αprovide␈αme␈αwith␈αan␈αoperating␈αbudget␈αsufficient␈αto␈αallow␈αthis␈αdevelopment␈αeffort␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hto␈αprogress␈αat␈αa␈αreasonable␈αrate.␈αWe␈αdiscussed␈αthis␈αduring␈αout␈αmeeting␈αand␈αit␈αlooks␈αlike␈α$75,000␈αto␈α$100,000␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓Hper␈α
year␈α
including␈α
all␈α
salaries␈α
(mine␈α
too)␈α
and␈α
materials␈α
might␈α
be␈α
a␈α
reasonale␈α
commitment␈α
to␈α
start.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HI␈α
would␈α
want␈α
to␈α
retain␈α
the␈α
right␈α
to␈α
complete␈α
all␈α
current␈α
orders,␈αand␈αretain␈αall␈αpayments␈αfor␈αthese␈αorders.␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓HThese␈αorders␈αwould␈α
be␈α
completed␈α
entirely␈α
at␈α
Vicarm␈α
expense,␈α
and␈α
my␈α
salary␈α
would␈α
not␈α
start␈α
until␈α
completion␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H(expected␈α
by␈α
June␈α
15).␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ εW
␈↓ εW
Yours sincerely,␈↓ εW
␈↓ εW
␈↓ εW
␈↓ εW
Victor Scheinman ␈↓ εW
President␈↓ εW
␈↓ εW
VDS:pdp10␈↓ ↓H
␈↓ ↓H