The word "waldo" comes from the name of a character in Heinlein's anthology "Waldo and Magic, Inc." Waldo was the name of a person that suffered from myasthenia gravis, lived in (what we'd today call a space station), and invented the devices (which, I believe, were more officially called reduplicating pantographs) so that he could do things that "normal" folks can do with arms and hands.
As for from whence the quotes originated -- I stick with my story. Wikipedia may have found them at the same source -- at least I read them in the original.
Keep toying with me -- and say your goodbyes to the forum while you're at it, okay?