May 9, 2005: Measurement Systems Inc (Ultra MSI), a subsidiary of Ultra Electronics Holdings plc and a leading designer and manufacturer of positioning and tracking controls, has been awarded a contract by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) Ltd through its MD Robotics group in Brampton, Ontario to manufacture special hand controls for the “Canadarm” -- the robotic arm technology used on space shuttle missions.

MD Robotics is under contract with NASA to work on a possible robot-salvage mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The contract awarded by NASA to MDA is valued at $154 million and builds on its space robotics work. MD Robotics is considered a world leader in extending human reach in hostile environments with great precision and reliability. Based on Canada's space robotics technology called Dextre, MDA will design a concept that could support the repair and upgrade of the Hubble space telescope. Dextre is the dual-armed robot built by MDA under contract to the Canadian Space Agency to conduct exterior maintenance of the International Space Station. That robot is specially designed to perform complex tasks in the harsh environment of space, such as installing and removing batteries, power supplies, computer units, and scientific payloads.

As the recognized leader in precision human-machine interface (HMI) solutions, Ultra MSI will provide MD Robotics with two different types of customized, three-axis hand controls incorporating a special serial interface that accommodates multiple input signals and transmits absolute and incremental position information. These hand controls will provide the human-machine interface between the robot and the space crew that attempts to salvage the Hubble space telescope.