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Virtual Reality Technologies: a Way to Verify Dismantling Operations

Authors:
Caroline Chabal
Alexandre Proietti
Jean-François Mante
Jean-Marc Idasiak

Keywords: virtual reality; dismantling operation; haptic interface; accessibility study; remote handling; collision detection; interactivity; real-time

Abstract:
Dismantling is a major challenge for nuclear companies, which are faced with the clean-up of former nuclear sites. In order to increase efficiency, optimize costs and planning, intervention designers must verify scenario key points, take into account unexpected situations and provide technical answers. Simulation is a good means of visualizing and therefore understanding constraints, of testing different alternatives, and a way to train workers prior to interventions. This paper describes an application of such a technology: dismantling a chemical cell in the APM (Marcoule Pilot Workshop) facility at Marcoule (France). This highly radioactive cell will be dismantled by a remote handling system using the Maestro slave arm. An immersive room has been used to design the dismantling scenarios. For these, the Maestro slave arm has been coupled with a haptic interface and, thanks to force feedback and visual immersion, accessibility, operational trajectories and maintainability on the carrier have been verified. If problems are found, updates of the carrier design are carried out before its final construction to guarantee the system will work properly. We describe the processes of building the 3D model and verifying scenarios. Finally, we present the first results, which are encouraging, and the perspectives for the project.

Pages: 153 to 157

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: February 23, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4138

ISBN: 978-1-61208-117-5

Location: Gosier, Guadeloupe, France

Dates: from February 23, 2011 to February 28, 2011