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Robotics and Remote Handling in Nuclear Decommissioning is an essential guide to the various robotic and remote system tools available to complete decommissioning tasks that cannot be completed by human workers hands-on due to ALARA constraints. The book provides readers with a guide to what has worked in the past for given types of decommissioning tasks based on broad community experience. It also examines leading-edge developments in research which are expected to be highly useful to those developing new technologies. Chapters in the first section of the book set the scene by introducing the topic and reviewing its history. Part 2 then focuses on available technologies, from long handle tooling to remote cranes, mobile platforms and telerobotics. A series of case studies then address lessons learned in real world nuclear decommissioning operations. The final chapters review the regulatory environment and its implications. The book will be a valuable reference for engineers and managers in the nuclear industry, technology developers, researchers and graduate students with an interest in applied robotics and nuclear decommissioning. Uses case studies to illustrate key lessons learned from past clean-ups Provides examples that identify the limits of what can be done with current technology and within current regulatory frameworks around the world Discusses technology needs for further development then goes on to identify current research in robotics that others may leverage to their advantage

Despite enormous remote handling requirements, remarkably very few robots are being used by the nuclear industry. Most of the remote handling tasks are still performed manually, using conventional mechanical master-slave devices. The few robotic manipulators deployed are directly tele-operated in rudimentary ways, with almost no autonomy or even a pre-programmed motion. In addition, majority of these robots are under-sensored (id est with no proprioception), which prevents them to use for automatic tasks. In this context, primarily this chapter discusses the human operator performance in accomplishing heavy-duty remote handling tasks in hazardous environments such as nuclear decommissioning. Multiple factors are evaluated to analyse the human operators' performance and workload. Also, direct human tele-operation is compared against human-supervised semi-autonomous control exploiting computer vision. Secondarily, a vision-guided solution towards enabling advanced control and automating the under-sensored robots is presented. Maintaining the coherence with real nuclear scenario, the experiments are conducted in the lab environment and results are discussed.

Based on the Lectures given during the Eurocourse on 'Teleoperation: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation' held at the Joint Research Centre Ispra, Italy, November 18-22, 1991

Once a nuclear installation has reached the end of its safe and economical operational lifetime, the need for its decommissioning arises. Different strategies can be employed for nuclear decommissioning, based on the evaluation of particular hazards and their attendant risks, as well as on the analysis of costs of clean-up and waste management. This allows for decommissioning either soon after permanent shutdown, or perhaps a long time later, the latter course allowing for radioactivity levels to drop in any activated or contaminated components. It is crucial for clear processes and best practices to be applied in decommissioning such installations and sites, particular where any significant health and environmental risks exist. This book critically reviews the nuclear decommissioning processes and technologies applicable to nuclear power plants and other civilian nuclear facilities. Part one focuses on the fundamental planning issues in starting a nuclear decommissioning process, from principles and safety regulations, to financing and project management. Part two covers the execution phase of nuclear decommissioning projects, detailing processes and technologies such as dismantling, decontamination, and radioactive waste management, as well as environmental remediation, site clearance and reuse. Finally, part three details international experience in the decommissioning of nuclear applications, including the main nuclear reactor types and nuclear fuel cycle facilities, as well as small nuclear facilities and legacy nuclear waste sites. Critically reviews nuclear decommissioning processes and technologies applicable to nuclear power plants and other civilian nuclear facilities Discusses the fundamental planning issues in starting a nuclear decommissioning process Considers the execution phase of nuclear decommissioning projects, including dismantling, decontamination, and radioactive waste management, as well as environmental remediation, site clearance and reuse

Robots are used in industry, rescue missions, military operations, and subwater missions. Their use in hazardous environments is crucial in terms of occupational safety of workers and the health of rescue and military operations. This book presents several hazardous environment operations and safe operations of robots interacting with people in the context of occupational health and safety.

This book presents the latest research on mechatronic systems engineering. By bringing together the most important papers from the 2018 Mechatronics Forum Conference ‘Reinventing Mechatronics,’ it outlines key trends in research and applications that will define mechatronics for the next 50 years. Mechatronics was established as an engineering discipline over 50 years ago, as the integration of electronics and information technology with mechanical design. Given major technological advances and the growth of systems-level concepts such as Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things, along with Cloud Technologies and Big Data, it’s now high time to reconsider the role of mechatronics, particularly within engineering design. Past and ongoing technological changes are impacting how systems are designed and configured in ways that could never have been envisaged when the field of mechatronics was first introduced.

Gathering the Proceedings of the 2018 Intelligent Systems Conference (IntelliSys 2018), this book offers a remarkable collection of chapters covering a wide range of topics in intelligent systems and computing, and their real-world applications. The Conference attracted a total of 568 submissions from pioneering researchers, scientists, industrial engineers, and students from all around the world. These submissions underwent a double-blind peer review process, after which 194 (including 13 poster papers) were selected to be included in these proceedings. As intelligent systems continue to replace and sometimes outperform human intelligence in decision-making processes, they have made it possible to tackle many problems more effectively. This branching out of computational intelligence in several directions, and the use of intelligent systems in everyday applications, have created the need for such an international conference, which serves as a venue for reporting on cutting-edge innovations and developments. This book collects both theory and application-based chapters on all aspects of artificial intelligence, from classical to intelligent scope. Readers are sure to find the book both interesting and valuable, as it presents state-of-the-art intelligent methods and techniques for solving real-world problems, along with a vision of future research directions.

Decommissioning nuclear facilities is a relatively new field, which has developed rapidly in the last ten years. It involves materials that may be highly radioactive and therefore require sophisticated methods of containment and remote handling. The wastes arising from decommissioning are hazardous and have to be stored or disposed of safely in order to protect the environment and future generations. Nuclear decommissioning work must be carried out to the highest possible standards to protect workers, the general public and the environment. This book describes the techniques used for dismantling redundant nuclear facilities, the safe storage of radioactive wastes and the restoration of nuclear licensed sites. * Describes the techniques used for dismantling nuclear facilities, safe storage of radioactive wastes, and the restoration of nuclear licensed facilities. * Provides the reader with decommissioning experience accumulated over 15 years by UKAEA. * Contains valuable information to personnel new to decommissioning and waste management.

Advanced robotics' describes the use of sensor-based robotic devices which exploit powerful computers to achieve the high levels of functionality that begin to mimic intelligent human behaviour. The object of this book is to summarise developments in the base technologies, survey recent applications and highlight new advanced concepts which will influence future progress. I. Technologies (Recent developments in advanced robotics and intelligent systems; Machine intelligence - architectures, controllers and applications; Advanced control systems for robotic arms; Intelligent gripping systems; Force feedback control in robots applied to decommissioning; Tele-presence control of robots; Sensing and sensor management for planning); II Applications (Robotics in the nuclear industry; Robots in surgery; Intelligent autonomous systems for cars; Walking machine technology; Handling of flexible materials in automation; Robotics in food manufacturing; Robotic milking; Error-free semiconductor wafer handling); III Advanced concepts and procedures (The concept of robot society and its utilisation; Miniature and microrobotics; Characteristics of robot behavior; A behaviour synthesis architecture for co-operant mobile robots; Co-operant behaviour in multiple manipulators; Neural networks in automation procedures; Parallel processing, neural networks and genetic algorithms for real-time robot control); Index.

About the Handbook of Industrial Robotics, Second Edition: "Once again, the Handbook of Industrial Robotics, in its Second Edition, explains the good ideas and knowledge that are needed for solutions." -Christopher B. Galvin, Chief Executive Officer, Motorola, Inc. "The material covered in this Handbook reflects the new generation of robotics developments. It is a powerful educational resource for students, engineers, and managers, written by a leading team of robotics experts." - Yukio Hasegawa, Professor Emeritus, Waseda University, Japan. "The Second Edition of the Handbook of Industrial Robotics organizes and systematizes the current expertise of industrial robotics and its forthcoming capabilities. These efforts are critical to solve the underlying problems of industry. This continuation is a source of power. I believe this Handbook will stimulate those who are concerned with industrial robots, and motivate them to be great contributors to the progress of industrial robotics." -Hiroshi Okuda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation. "This Handbook describes very well the available and emerging robotics capabilities. It is a most comprehensive guide, including valuable information for both the providers and consumers of creative robotics applications." -Donald A. Vincent, Executive Vice President, Robotic Industries Association 120 leading experts from twelve countries have participated in creating this Second Edition of the Handbook of Industrial Robotics. Of its 66 chapters, 33 are new, covering important new topics in the theory, design, control, and applications of robotics. Other key features include a larger glossary of robotics terminology with over 800 terms and a CD-ROM that vividly conveys the colorful motions and intelligence of robotics. With contributions from the most prominent names in robotics worldwide, the Handbook remains the essential resource on all aspects of this complex subject.