Force-feedback teleoperation of an industrial robot in a nuclear spent fuel reprocessing plant

Purpose – Aims to make an industrial robot work as a telemanipulator with force feedback, in order to carry out various tasks for remote handling in nuclear fuel cycle plants. Design/methodology/approach – The robot STABLI RX170 (used as a slave arm) has been fitted with a force-torque sensor and an electronic system for sensors’ signals multiplexing. The overall system has been made tolerant to γ radiation up to a 10kGy integrated dose. The industrial robot has been coupled to a master arm with force feedback capability and to the Computer Assisted Teleoperation controller TAO2000 developed by CEA-LIST. Findings – The result of the maintenance operation reported in the article, carried out with a Sta„bli RX170 robot at AREVA/COGEMA La Hague plant, illustrates this validity of the approach and demonstrates how remote handling can beneficiate of this new technology. Originality/value – Introduce the teleoperation of industrial robots as a new solution for the maintenance of nuclear facilities. Wrist force/torque sensing and advanced master-slave controller provide the operators with a high performance teleoperation system. Only limited modification of the existing design of the industrial robot has been carried out in order to transform it into a nuclear telemanipulator.