The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), also known as Canadarm went on its first space voyage aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981 and ever since has demonstrated innovative versatility, strength and precision on subsequent voyages. To this date Canadarm has flawlessly performed over 50 missions; doing such tasks as placing satellites into orbit and recovering malfunctions ones for repair. Not only is Canadarm a useful grabbing mechanism, it has also served as a walkway for the astronauts who repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition, the SRMS was once used to dislodge a block of ice which was clogging a shuttle's waste water vent. Indeed, Canadarm's versatility makes it a very handy space tool.

The SRMS has a mass of approximately 400 kg yet can manoeuver cargo of up to 266 000 kg. It has similar directional freedom to that of the human arm except with an elbow joint that has a full up and down range of motion. Each joint on the arm has its own motor with brakes and speed control. The grasping of objects is accomplished by Canadarm's End Effector, a cylindrical mechanism containing a contractible snare-like apparatus of diameter 20 cm which grapples protruding knobs attached to the payload.