A remote in-vessel and ex-vessel force-reflecting telerobotic system for the Burning Plasma Experiment

The goal of the TeleMate manipulator system is to provide a single system that works effectively in all three of the major maintenance areas of the BPX (Burning Plasma Experiment): in-vessel, ex-vessel, and under-vessel. The system, the development status, initial test data, and control system performance are described. TeleMate combines enhancements to a proven mechanical design with state-of-the-art control technology to produce a flexible system that can be configured to address the numerous remote fusion applications. The mechanical portion of the system has many years of operation in radioactive facilities. The subject development includes upgrading the mechanical system, correcting deficiencies identified by users, and incorporating a custom distributed digital controller. A commercial high-speed transformation processor will mate master controller to slave arm while maintaining the force reflecting properties which are fundamental to efficient remote operations. This transformer and a innovative high-speed communications board, Telelink, will accommodate dissimilar master-slave combinations and provide a centralized control platform for multiple arms and support system configurations. The operator interface utilizes a proprietary visual programming language capable of controlling multiple systems from a single terminal. Advanced control features will also be implemented