GENROBOT

Project Overview: The Challenge of Fusion Energy

As a key contributor to the ITER project—the world’s most ambitious experimental fusion reactor—GTD is tackling one of the most complex technological challenges of our time. Due to the high-radiation environment inside the reactor, all operation and maintenance tasks must be performed remotely.

Our mission centers on developing the critical software required to orchestrate these robotic systems, ensuring multiple teams of equipment can operate with surgical precision and absolute safety within the European Remote Handling framework.

The GENROBOT Solution: A Versatile Control Platform

In close collaboration with Fusion for Energy (F4E), GTD has developed GENROBOT, a generic and highly configurable control platform specifically engineered for Remote Handling robotic systems.

Key Technical Pillars:

• Adaptability: Capable of configuring diverse robotic equipment operating under critical conditions.
• Certified Safety: Designed in strict compliance with functional safety standards, including SIL-2 (IEC 61508) and Category B (IEC 62138).
• Seamless Integration: Consolidates multiple manipulators, actuators, and remote tools into a single control framework, significantly reducing integration time and costs.
• Cross-Industry Scalability: While optimized for fusion, the architecture is reusable for nuclear decommissioning, telemedicine, and high-precision industrial logistics.

GTD also provides a comprehensive suite of Command & Control (C&C), Operations Management Systems, and supervision tools that run atop GENROBOT, creating a turn-key solution for complex remote environments.

Current Status: From Validation to Real-World Simulation

The GENROBOT project has successfully moved beyond internal testing and is currently undergoing rigorous validation at the Divertor Test Platform (DTP2) in Tampere, Finland.

In this facility, we demonstrate GENROBOT’s interoperability with 3D vision systems and hydraulic valve controls in scenarios that replicate real reactor operations. This phase is crucial for training experts and ensuring the software can handle the unpredictable variables of a fusion environment.

The Future: Haptics and Portability

The evolution of GENROBOT is focused on breaking the barriers between the operator and the machine:

1. Haptic Feedback Integration

We are transitioning from visual-only supervision to Haptic Feedback. This technology allows operators to "feel" the physical resistance and touch sensations within the reactor through their control interface.

• Precision: Enhanced assembly of delicate components.
• Safety: Intuitive response to environmental resistance.
• Training: Realistic simulation for high-risk maneuvers.

2. Portable Command & Control (C&C)

GTD is developing a Portable C&C System featuring modular, lightweight interfaces. This allows operators to move freely across vast facilities or switch between control points without being tethered to fixed stations, facilitating emergency response and collaborative operations.

Our Role: A Specialized Strategic Partner

Within the ITER ecosystem, GTD acts as a specialized technology provider for key European Remote Handling components. Working under the framework established by Fusion for Energy (F4E), we transform global architectural requirements into certified, integrated software solutions that power the future of clean energy.

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