Automated Construction System of a Modularized Rail Structure for Locomotion and Operation in Hazardous Environments

-Development of an axial-rotation-module for Robots moving on a Rail structure-

Abstract

Unmanned robot operation is required for decommissioning of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. To realize efficient movement for robots in the high radiation and hazardous environments, we propose an “Automated construction system of a modularized rail structure.” In this study, we have developed an axial-rotation-module that transfers a robot moving on the rail structure to another face of its structure. To realize a long-term operation, electronic components of the module must be replaced by a remotely controlled robot. In our design, the backdrivability of a rotating part of the module makes the replacing task simple and easy. An experiment has been conducted to evaluate the backdrivability of the rotating part. Experimental result indicates that a commercial robot can back-drive the rotating part with no special effort.