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A cartridge transport robot transports a cartridge of information storage media between differing locations in a cartridge library. The cartridge robot comprises a robot carriage; a robot tray; and a carriage motive system. The robot tray comprises a guide configured to facilitate linear motion of t

A cartridge transport robot transports a cartridge of information storage media between differing locations in a cartridge library. The cartridge robot comprises a robot carriage; a robot tray; and a carriage motive system. The robot tray comprises a guide configured to facilitate linear motion of the robot carriage, the robot carriage being situated on a first side of the robot tray. The robot carriage comprises cartridge engagement elements configured to selectively engage and release the cartridge. The carriage motive system is configured to provide linear motion to the robot carriage along the robot tray from a carriage retracted position to a carriage extracted position and thereby linearly displace the cartridge engaged by the cartridge engagement elements.

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What is claimed is: 1. A cartridge transport robot for transporting a cartridge of information storage media between differing locations in a cartridge library, the robot comprising: a robot carriage comprising cartridge engagement elements configured to selectively engage and release the cartridge

What is claimed is: 1. A cartridge transport robot for transporting a cartridge of information storage media between differing locations in a cartridge library, the robot comprising: a robot carriage comprising cartridge engagement elements configured to selectively engage and release the cartridge; a robot tray comprising a guide configured to facilitate linear motion of the robot carriage, the robot carriage being situated on a first side of the robot tray; a carriage motive system configured to provide linear motion to the robot carriage along the robot tray from a carriage retracted position to a carriage extracted position and thereby linearly displace the cartridge engaged by the cartridge engagement elements, the carriage motive system comprising: a rotatable member provided on a second side of the robot tray, the second side of the robot tray being opposite the first side of the robot tray; a cam slot provided in the robot tray, the cam slot comprising a predetermined slot configuration for facilitating translation of rotational motion of the rotatable member into the linear motion of the robot carriage; a cam connection link having a first end pivotally connected to the robot carriage and a second end; a cam follower configured to extend through the cam slot whereby a first end of the cam follower is attached to the rotatable member and a second end of the cam follower is attached to the second end of the cam connection link. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second link, and wherein the first end of the cam follower is attached to the rotatable member through the second link, the second link comprising a second link first end pivotally connected to the first end of the cam follower and a second link second end connected to the rotatable member. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cam connection link and the second link essentially fully overlap the robot carriage when the robot carriage is in the carriage retracted position. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second link first end is pivotally connected to the first end of the cam follower at a linkage intermediate connection point, and wherein the cam connection link is situated above the second link at the linkage intermediate connection point. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second link first end is pivotally connected to the first end of the cam follower at a linkage intermediate connection point and the second link second end is connected to the rotatable member at a linkage disk connection point, and wherein the linkage intermediate connection point and the linkage disk connection point are essentially collinear when the robot carriage is at the carriage extracted position. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk having gearing teeth provided along at least a portion of a disk periphery, and wherein the carriage motive system further comprises: a motor situated on the first side of the robot tray, the motor comprising a rotating output shaft; a gear system configured to intermesh the rotating output shaft of the motor with the gearing teeth of the disk periphery. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carriage motive system is configured to linearly displace the cartridge in a cartridge linear travel direction, and wherein with respect to the cartridge linear travel direction the cartridge engagement elements are connected to the robot carriage on a first side of the robot carriage and the cam connection link is connected to the robot carriage on a second side of the robot carriage. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined slot configuration of the cam slot comprises a semicircular cam slot section. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predetermined slot configuration of the cam slot further comprises a linear slot section which communicates with the semicircular cam slot section, and wherein the linear slot section is arranged so that the cam follower follows the linear slot section when the carriage approaches the carriage extracted position. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam connection link has an essentially crescent shape. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cam connection link is fully overlapped and beneath the robot carriage when the robot carriage is in the carriage retracted position. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide is comprised of a polymer bearing material.