OPG gets a 360 degree view inside nuclear reactors
by Noelle Stapinsky
“The mechanical system we provide is an 11 degrees of freedom, meaning 11 joints,” says Gryniewski. “Five of those joints are what we consider the delivery system at the end of the robotic arm. At the end of the arm it has six degrees of freedom, which is kind of traditional for robots.”
Several control modes handle the routine task the robot is expected to complete. “So, for instance, getting the robot arm from one point to the other—the routine stuff—we can script that motion. We can preplan that and rehearse it in a mock up to make sure we’re not getting close to sensitive components and there’s no danger of collision,” says Gryniewski.
For OPG, it now has its first look and documentation of the structural status of its reactors. And for MDA, which is continuing to develop its systems for next generation space initiatives, this step into Canada’s nuclear market opens the door to more business.
