tightened up context section: the digression on Descartes was mostly irrelevant and the citations were to philosophical works not mathematical contributions
Generally, manipulators (also called `[[Robot|robots]]' or `[[Mechanism (engineering)|mechanisms]]') are mechanical devices that position and orientate objects. The position of an object in three-dimensional (3D) space can be specified by three numbers ''X, Y, Z'' known as 'coordinates.' In a [[Cartesian coordinate system|Cartesian]] [[Coordinate system#:~:text%3DIn%20geometry%2C%20a%20coordinate%20system%2Cmanifold%20such%20as%20Euclidean%20space.|coordinate system]] (named after [[René Descartes]] who introduced [[Analytic geometry|analytic geometry]], the mathematical basis for controlling manipulators) the coordinates specify distances from three mutually perpendicular reference planes. The orientation of an object in 3D can be specified by three additional numbers corresponding to the orientation [[Euler angles|angles]]. The first [[Remote manipulator| manipulators]] were developed after World War II for the [[Argonne National Laboratory]] to safely handle highly radioactive material [[Teleoperation|remotely]]. The first [[Numerical control|numerically controlled]] manipulators (NC machines) were developed by [[John T. Parsons|Parsons Corp]]. and the [[MIT Servomechanisms Laboratory]], for [[Milling (machining)|milling applications]]. These machines position a cutting tool relative to a Cartesian coordinate system using three mutually perpendicular linear actuators ([[Prismatic joint|prismatic ''P'' joints]]), with ''(PP)P'' [[Kinematic pair#:~:text%3DA%20kinematic%20pair%20is%20a%2Celements%20consisting%20of%20simple%20machines.|joint topology]]. The first [[industrial robot]],<ref>George C Devol, Programmed article transfer, US patent 2988237, June 13, 1961. </ref> [[Unimation|Unimate]], was invented in the 1950’s. Its control axes correspond to a [[spherical coordinate system]], with ''RRP'' joint topology composed of two [[Revolute joint#:~:text%3DA%20revolute%20joint%20(also%20called%2Crotation%20along%20a%20common%20axis.|revolute ''R'' joints]] in series with a prismatic ''P'' joint. Most [[Industrial robot|industrial robots]] today are [[Articulated robot#:~:text%3DAn%20articulated%20robot%20is%20a%2Cof%20means%2C%20including%20electric%20motors.|articulated robots]] composed of a serial chain of revolute ''R'' joints ''RRRRRR''.
