GENROBOT

Advanced Robotics Control for Fusion and Extreme Environments

As part of Europe’s contribution to ITER—the world’s largest experimental fusion reactor—GTD addresses one of the most demanding challenges in modern engineering: enabling safe and precise operations in environments where human access is impossible due to radiation exposure.

Within this context, GTD has developed GENROBOT, a high-integrity software platform designed to orchestrate complex Remote Handling robotic systems. Developed in collaboration with Fusion for Energy (F4E), GENROBOT enables multiple robotic devices—manipulators, actuators and specialized tools—to operate in a coordinated, reliable and safe manner under extreme conditions.

A Generic and Scalable Control Platform

GENROBOT is conceived as a configurable and reusable control framework, capable of adapting to a wide range of robotic systems operating in critical environments. Its architecture consolidates heterogeneous equipment into a unified control layer, significantly reducing integration complexity, time and cost for system operators.

The platform is designed in compliance with functional safety standards (SIL-2 IEC 61508 and Category B IEC 62138), ensuring robust and certified performance in safety-critical operations.

Beyond fusion, its modular design makes it directly transferable to other domains such as nuclear decommissioning, telemedicine or high-precision industrial robotics, reinforcing its long-term technological value.

From Software Platform to Turnkey Control Ecosystem

On top of GENROBOT, GTD develops a complete suite of Command & Control (C&C), Operations Management Systems and supervision tools, delivering an integrated solution for complex remote operations.

This ecosystem allows operators to monitor, control and coordinate robotic systems in real time, ensuring operational efficiency while maintaining strict safety requirements in highly constrained environments.

Validation in Real Operational Conditions

GENROBOT has progressed beyond internal development and is currently undergoing validation at the Divertor Test Platform (DTP2) in Tampere, Finland, a reference facility for ITER Remote Handling systems.

In this environment, the platform is tested in realistic scenarios, demonstrating interoperability with advanced technologies such as 3D vision systems and digital hydraulic controls, and validating its capability to manage complex operations with millimetric precision.

These validation activities are essential to ensure readiness for ITER’s operational phase, where reliability is not optional—it is mission-critical.

Driving the Next Generation of Remote Operations

The evolution of GENROBOT is focused on enhancing the interaction between operators and machines, as well as increasing operational flexibility:

• Haptic feedback integration, enabling operators to perceive force and resistance remotely, improving precision, safety and training realism.
• Portable Command & Control systems, allowing flexible and distributed operations across large facilities, supporting mobility, collaboration and rapid response scenarios.

These developments aim to reduce the gap between human decision-making and robotic execution in extreme environments.

GTD’s Role

GTD acts as a specialized technology partner within the ITER ecosystem, contributing key software components to the European Remote Handling framework under Fusion for Energy (F4E).

Rather than acting as a global prime contractor, GTD’s role focuses on transforming system-level requirements into certified, integrated and high-assurance software solutions, reinforcing Europe’s capability to operate and maintain one of the most complex scientific infrastructures ever built.

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