Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/1385717
LEAD RESEARCHER: MATTEO RUSSO I received a European Doctorate from the University of Cassino, Italy, with research stays at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, University of the Basque Country, Spain, and Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Since 2019, I have been a Research Fellow at the Rolls-Royce UTC in Manufacturing and On-Wing Technology of the University of Nottingham, where I work on inspection and maintenance robotics. My main research interests are continuum robots, mechanism design, robot kinematics, and parallel manipulators. RAIN gave me a unique opportunity to work closely with leading Universities and the UK industry to develop robotic systems for nuclear decommissioning. CONTINUUM ROBOT PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT UNIQUENESS // With a reach of 1.2 m and a tip diameter of 12 mm, the RAIN-Snake can navigate in areas that are precluded to conventional industrial robots. While its architecture and flexible shape resemble the one of endoscopic cameras, the shape of the body of our robot can be fully controlled, thanks to the 24 tendons that run through its body. Thanks to this actuation, the robot can operate in a fully suspended configuration and can lift payloads up to 200 g. When stored and deployed, the robot can be coiled around its actuation pack in a compact shape fully contained in a cylinder with a radius of 200 mm and a height of 400 mm. An innovative algorithm achieves real-time coiling and uncoiling control with a follow-the- leader strategy, which enables the insertion of the robot in a cluttered workspace along complex paths. By delivering sensors in areas that conventional robots cannot access, our continuum robot will increase both safety and efficiency of decommissioning operations. SUMMARY // The inspection or dismantling of components of nuclear plants often involves inaccessible and/or hazardous environments and dangerous items, which need to be assessed before the inspection or dismantling process starts. An example of these challenges is the mapping of legacy glove boxes in nuclear plants. Before dismantling the glove boxes, the items inside them need to be identified. However, the opacity of their glass windows hinders a visual inspection, and human operators expose themselves to hazards in retrieving the contents. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a continuum robot, which, thanks to its slender body, can navigate through narrow passages and cluttered environments. 46