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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

The Future of Robotics/Remote Handling Solutions for the Nuclear Industry - 17347

The nuclear industry is seeing a resurgence of development and utilization of advanced integrated systems; fused sensor arrays; autonomous, remote and hybrid operations; and augmented reality display and control system interfaces. A new age of 'robotics' and remote handling technologies. For many years the use of robotics in nuclear applications has been done sparingly due to technical limitations, perceived and real reliability issues, perceived and real risk concerns, and cost. Although robotics have been used successfully on a variety of projects globally, the underuse of this technology, particularly within the nuclear industry both public and private, is overwhelming. As the number of complex, high hazard projects in the nuclear industry increases, the use of robotics for maintenance, inspection, repair, decommissioning, and remediation activities will become increasingly vital in the future. The risks associated with direct human exposure are high and thus eliminating the risk, or managing it to acceptable levels by using robotics/remote handling as well as other technologies is critical to success as more extreme environment operations and tasks are undertaken. Recent and ongoing advances in technology now allows us to safely and effectively remove the direct / in-situ human element from these type of activities. All the while delivering the same or better outcomes when considering the alternatives when limited or no direct / in-situ human intervention would be allowed. The biggest obstacles the nuclear industry faces center on the cost, reliability, maintainability, effectiveness and appropriate uses of robotics/remote handling solutions in a nuclear (radiation and/or contamination) environment. In order to mitigate these concerns, a sound approach to the use of robotics needs to be addressed. This approach must include: 1. A better understanding of what technology is available and how it can be utilized across multiple sectors, e.g. Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) technology modified / adapted for the nuclear sector; 2. How to implement technology in an integrated pragmatic approach that is cost effective by combining technological know-how / subject matter expertise (SME) with the equivalent subject matter expertise in regulatory, operational and maintenance requirements and limitations, such that a more complete set of functional and operational requirements can be jointly developed in the process. 3. The integration of requirements (project, site, regulatory, etc.), risk management (human factors) and technology, i.e. a marriage between political, programmatic, and technological factors. As the development of robotic/remote handling technology progresses and the successful implementation on projects is demonstrated, the better off the industry will be. This paper provides an overview of the fundamental issues facing the nuclear industry with regard to effective and successful technology selection, maturation, deployment, and integrated risk management, and offers suggestions on how we may overcome these persistent issues now and in the future. Robotic systems and solution experts that are focused on the integration of proven technologies - and that are an integrated part of the project team from its onset - are a necessity for successful planning during nuclear operations. The approach to nuclear operations should always be, 'what is the simplest, most effective way we can approach a particular project need?'. Understanding and implementing the right technologies is where the true value will be recognized. The integration of systems, which includes more than just robotics, is key when developing schemes for these types of complex operations. Often times during planning, the remote handling needs of the job are set aside to be evaluated at a later time due to risk concerns and lack of knowledge. The issue is, experts in the area of robotics or remote handling are rarely involved in the upfront planning. As a result, unnecessary constraints, risks, and obstacles are imposed on project teams to deliver. If done intelligently, this should be introduced at the forefront of planning. Using this type of sound approach leads to effective task organization for the end user. By developing an overall philosophy that leverages proven technologies with implementation expertise; i.e. solutions versus products, is a recipe for success. This is the area that is under-appreciated in the industry and one that needs to be recognized on a much broader scale. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Review on robot-assisted polishing: Status and future trends

Nowadays, precision components have been extensively used in various industries such as biomedicine, photonics, and optics. To achieve nanometric surface roughness, high-precision polishing is mandatory. Compared with the conventional polishing techniques, the robot-assisted polishing has the advantages of flexible working ranges and low cost. Therefore, it has been more widely deployed in demanding polishing tasks. However, few review articles were found on this topic to provide a general progress on the development of the robot-assisted polishing technology. Here in this paper reviews the recent advancement of the robot-assisted polishing. Firstly, the integration of robots with various polishing techniques is overviewed, followed by the introduction of the research status of constant force control in robot-assisted polishing. Then, the errors in typical robot-assisted polishing systems are analyzed, together with the corresponding compensation methods. At last, the future trends in the development of robot-assisted polishing are discussed. This review is intended as a roadmap for researchers or engineers who are interested in robot-assisted polishing or machining.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Soft Robotics

This description of “soft robotics” is not intended to be a conventional review, in the sense of a comprehensive technical summary of a developing field. Rather, its objective is to describe soft robotics as a new field—one that offers opportunities to chemists and materials scientists who like to make “things” and to work with macroscopic objects that move and exert force. It will give one (personal) view of what soft actuators and robots are, and how this class of soft devices fits into the more highly developed field of conventional “hard” robotics. It will also suggest how and why soft robotics is more than simply a minor technical “tweak” on hard robotics and propose a unique role for chemistry, and materials science, in this field. Finally, soft robotics is, at its core, intellectually and technologically different from hard robotics, both because it has different objectives and uses and because it relies on the properties of materials to assume many of the roles played by sensors, actuators, and controllers in hard robotics.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Integrating commercially available remote systems to address current D and D challenges - 15399

Many current D and D challenges across the DOE complex require some form of remote handling expertise and equipment. For example, high visibility projects such as Building 324 D and D and the recovery of wastes from the Alpha-Caissons and the 618 10-11 caissons at Hanford all require the development and application of advanced remote systems. Additionally although alternate solutions and options are being sought, robotic/remote systems will likely be required for completion of D and D at Savannah River Site's Building 235-F, at the West Valley Demonstration Project and many other DOE facilities that are scheduled for D and D. Similar systems are also needed to support the UK cleanup program on projects such as the decommissioning of the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo. As a result, there are a significant number of R and D and Technology Development projects underway in order to address the growing need for remote systems in D and D. In addition to these significant R and D efforts, there are also numerous remote systems in use in multiple applications in both nuclear and non-nuclear industries and the use of remote systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has been extensive in the past 12-24 months. In many cases, the systems developed are customized for their given application but there are also multiple systems in use which could be applied to the worldwide D and D challenge either directly or with some minor adaptation. During FY14, the Office of D and D and Facility Engineering (EM13) funded a review/assessment of the current state-of-the-art of robotics and remote technologies in order to generate a baseline of what is available, what has been used where and for what applications and what has been successful and what hasn't. Where possible, the assessment was extended to identify remote systems that have been used in non-nuclear industries but which, with limited modification, may have application in the nuclear industry. The work also included a review of the most recent publicly available TBuRD (Technical Baseline and Underpinning R and D) activities being undertaken by the UK NDA and their Site Licensed Companies (SLCs) in the area of remote systems in order to compile a searchable database of both available, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) remote systems and developing technologies. Other suitably qualified organizations in the US and the UK (such as UK National Nuclear Laboratory, SRNL, PNNL ORNL, OC Robotics and others) were also engaged to identify other ongoing technology development efforts which may be of interest and benefit to the decommissioning community. In all, of the order of 500 remote systems were identified and cataloged in both hard copy and as a searchable database. These systems were categorized in terms of their main application e.g. manipulator, wheeled land-based platform, track land-based platform, water-based platform, air-based platform, end effectors, sensor, crawler etc to clearly demonstrate the depth and breadth of available systems in each category. In addition, single page summaries of each system were produced and used, in a workshop setting, to identify technologies which, when integrated with other currently-available technologies, could provide a workable system to address existing needs. An initial workshop was held with CH2 Washington Idaho (CWI) and DOE Idaho in August 2014 to explore how the available systems could be integrated to address current and future D and D needs at that site. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2024

Design and testing of ultrasound probe adapters for a robotic imaging platform

Medical imaging-based triage is a critical tool for emergency medicine in both civilian and military settings. Ultrasound imaging can be used to rapidly identify free fluid in abdominal and thoracic cavities which could necessitate immediate surgical intervention. However, proper ultrasound image capture requires a skilled ultrasonography technician who is likely unavailable at the point of injury where resources are limited. Instead, robotics and computer vision technology can simplify image acquisition. As a first step towards this larger goal, here, we focus on the development of prototypes for ultrasound probe securement using a robotics platform. The ability of four probe adapter technologies to precisely capture images at anatomical locations, repeatedly, and with different ultrasound transducer types were evaluated across more than five scoring criteria. Testing demonstrated two of the adapters outperformed the traditional robot gripper and manual image capture, with a compact, rotating design compatible with wireless imaging technology being most suitable for use at the point of injury. Next steps will integrate the robotic platform with computer vision and deep learning image interpretation models to automate image capture and diagnosis. This will lower the skill threshold needed for medical imaging-based triage, enabling this procedure to be available at or near the point of injury.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

System Integration for Remote Systems at DOE Hanford Nuclear Site - 18712

The deployment of remotely operated technology that functions in environments too hazardous for worker entry are often needed at the Hanford Site to perform functions like infrastructure inspection; decommissioning and decontamination; characterization; environmental sampling; and nuclear waste sampling, mobilization, and retrieval. The development and production of Hanford remote systems typically requires the integration of robotic components and sensor technologies that have been engineered or adapted to meet function and performance requirements. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has led the engineering and integration of robotic and sensor/manipulator technology for several remote system deployments at Hanford and for national security sponsors. This paper describes the system integration process for ensuring that the mechanical, electrical, and software aspects of each component are successfully brought together to produce a remote system that meets function and performance requirements under extreme environments and limited-access operational demands. A brief summary of previous and current remote system projects is also provided. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Evolution of Wayfinding Within Airports

The process of navigating within airports has evolved over the years, with various technologies emerging to complement static signage. Historically, wayfinding began with static signage and airport staff members providing personal guidance, before progressing into digital signs, interactive kiosks, and displays. In recent years, wayfinding has continued along its digital path using mobile applications, indoor positioning technology, and even robot guides. With ever- larger airport facilities and a growing number of travelers, the future of wayfinding will likely be heavily linked to further digital developments such as facial recognition, augmented-reality technology, and autonomous vehicle navigation. This report delves into the history of interior wayfinding in airports, its present state, and the anticipated future. Key wayfinding technologies are discussed in detail, with an emphasis on emerging smartphone applications. Other considerations such as traveler stress, legal issues, pandemic safety, and language barriers are included. A wayfinding framework is proposed, with static wayfinding technologies serving as the base upon which dynamic and personalized digital technologies are built. In this framework, electronic wayfinding technologies do not replace - but rather augment - traditional methods. These technologies can be integrated into existing wayfinding systems for a seamless traveler experience.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Evolution of Airport Terminal Wayfinding Technologies

This work was presented during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) webinar "Enhancing the Airport Experience with Wayfinding" on May 23, 2024. The process of navigating within airports has evolved over the years, with various technologies emerging to complement static signage. Historically, wayfinding began with static signage and airport staff members providing personal guidance, before progressing into digital signs, interactive kiosks, and displays. In recent years, wayfinding has continued along its digital path using mobile applications, indoor positioning technology, and even robot guides. With ever- larger airport facilities and a growing number of travelers, the future of wayfinding will likely be heavily linked to further digital developments such as facial recognition, augmented-reality technology, and autonomous vehicle navigation. This presentation delves into the history of interior wayfinding in airports, its present state, and the anticipated future. Key wayfinding technologies are discussed with an emphasis on emerging smartphone applications. Other considerations such as legal issues, language barriers, and human-technology interactions are included. A wayfinding framework is proposed, with static wayfinding technologies serving as the base upon which dynamic and personalized digital technologies are built. In this framework, electronic wayfinding technologies do not replace - but rather augment - traditional methods. These technologies can be integrated into existing wayfinding systems for a seamless traveler experience.

airport↗
DOE OSTI2022

AI-Enabled Robots for Automated Nondestructive Evaluation and Repair of Power Plant Boilers. Final Report

Boiler failure could cause loss of life and safety issues, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment repairs, property damage and production losses, and drive up the cost of electric power. Boiler maintenance is challenging and risky for inspectors working on scaffolding in confined hazardous spaces inside of a boiler and sometimes the space is hard to access. The operation is also time-consuming due to the large area of vertical structures for inspection and the tremendous effort needed for scaffolding. Recently, the use of robotics (e.g., drones and crawlers) in power plants for maintenance is growing rapidly. However, the existing robotics solutions show two notable technological gaps: no live repair capability, and no Artificial Intelligence (AI) for smart autonomy. The objective of this project is to develop an integrated autonomous robotic platform that is equipped with compact non-destructive evaluation (NDE) sensors to perform live inspection, operates onboard repair devices to perform live repair, and uses AI for intelligent data fusion and predictive analysis for automated and smart spatiotemporal inspection, analysis and repair of the furnace walls in coal-fired boilers. The approach to achieve the objective includes developing NDE sensors with signal processing techniques, designing and evaluating repair devices for robots based on fusion and solid-state technologies, and an autonomous robotic platform that can attach to and navigate on boiler furnace walls using magnetic drive tracks. The robot is also powered by AI to automate data gathering (e.g., 3D mapping and damage localization) and predictive analysis. This project has advanced the state-of-the-art by providing technological breakthroughs including compact NDE and repair tools for robots, AI capabilities for smart autonomy, and a robotic platform for automated boiler maintenance. This project has great potential to result in significant benefits including limiting or eliminating the need to send operators to assess difficult-to-access or hazardous areas, enabling automated live inspection and repair, avoiding time consuming scaffolding (especially for partial maintenance during unplanned outage), collecting comprehensive and well-organized data smartly, and avoiding or limiting the need for onsite or remote piloting technicians. The impacts can be tremendous in terms of the time and cost savings, reducing the risk for human operators, and increasing boiler reliability, usability, and efficiency. In addition, by developing the new technologies on the autonomous inspection and repair robot, by involving multiple undergraduate and graduate students working together with the faculty members on this project, and by generating knowledge and building up collaborations with industrial partners, this effort will significantly update the education capabilities, support long-term fundamental research, and maintain the leadership of Colorado School of Mines and Michigan State University in energy fields.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Trust in Artificial Intelligence: Meta-Analytic Findings

Objective The present meta-analysis sought to determine significant factors that predict trust in artificial intelligence (AI). Such factors were divided into those relating to (a) the human trustor, (b) the AI trustee, and (c) the shared context of their interaction. Background There are many factors influencing trust in robots, automation, and technology in general, and there have been several meta-analytic attempts to understand the antecedents of trust in these areas. However, no targeted meta-analysis has been performed examining the antecedents of trust in AI. Method Data from 65 articles examined the three predicted categories, as well as the subcategories of human characteristics and abilities, AI performance and attributes, and contextual tasking. Lastly, four common uses for AI (i.e., chatbots, robots, automated vehicles, and nonembodied, plain algorithms) were examined as further potential moderating factors. Results Results showed that all of the examined categories were significant predictors of trust in AI as well as many individual antecedents such as AI reliability and anthropomorphism, among many others. Conclusion Overall, the results of this meta-analysis determined several factors that influence trust, including some that have no bearing on AI performance. Additionally, we highlight the areas where there is currently no empirical research. Application Findings from this analysis will allow designers to build systems that elicit higher or lower levels of trust, as they require.

Behavioral Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy Efficient Legged Robotics at Sandia Labs

Sandia is developing energy efficient actuation and drive train technologies to dramatically improve the charge life of legged robots. The work is supported by DARPA, and Sandia will demonstrate an energy efficient bipedal robot at the technology exposition section of the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals in June, 2015. This video, the first in a series, describes early development and initial integration of the Sandia Transmission Efficient Prototype Promoting Research (STEPPR) robot.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

SDSS-V Algorithms: Fast, Collision-free Trajectory Planning for Heavily Overlapping Robotic Fiber Positioners

Robotic fiber positioner (RFP) arrays are becoming heavily adopted in wide-field massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey instruments. RFP arrays decrease nightly operational overheads through rapid reconfiguration between fields and exposures. In comparison to similar instruments, SDSS-V has selected a very dense RFP packing scheme where any point in a field is typically accessible to three or more robots. This design provides flexibility in target assignment. However, the task of collisionless trajectory planning is especially challenging. We present two multiagent distributed control strategies that are highly efficient and computationally inexpensive for determining collision-free paths for RFPs in heavily overlapping workspaces. We demonstrate that a reconfiguration path between two arbitrary robot configurations can be efficiently found if a “folded” state, in which all robot arms are retracted and aligned in a lattice-like orientation, is inserted between the initial and final states. Although developed for SDSS-V, the approach we describe is generic and thus applicable to a wide range of RFP designs and layouts. Robotic fiber positioner technology continues to advance rapidly, and in the near future ultra-densely packed RFP designs may be feasible. Our algorithms are especially capable in routing paths in very crowded environments, where we see efficient results even in regimes significantly more crowded than the SDSS-V RFP design.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Contech to Accelerate Cleantech: Seeding Emerging Innovation Programs for Construction Productivity and Energy Efficiency Integration; Preprint

Investments in U.S.-based start-ups that focus on advanced building construction technologies to increase construction productivity (contech) surged to approximately $3.1 billion in 2018 (as per Crunchbase data). More recently, emerging programs by government funding agencies, philanthropic foundations, and venture capitalists have been instrumental in supporting contech start-ups for innovations that increase productivity of energy efficiency integration and accelerate clean energy technologies (cleantech) for the buildings sector. These programs include R&D support and funding mechanisms for contech and cleantech. Traditionally, contech and cleantech are considered as two different innovation ecosystems. To enhance and scale up energy efficiency in buildings, creative programs that bring together contech and cleantech are critical. This paper provides a landscape assessment of the "contech-for-cleantech" innovation ecosystem in the U.S. and its impact in accelerating technology readiness and the development pipeline of "contech-for-cleantech". Technologies highlighted are robotics for retrofits, prefabrication of energy-efficient products, and advanced manufacturing of low-carbon net-zero buildings construction. Programs discussed include those led by (1) government funding agencies: American-Made Challenges with prizes like E-ROBOT for retrofits with robotics, (2) philanthropic foundations: Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) that includes focus on energy efficiency and prefabrication, and (3) venture capitalists: Shadow Ventures Green Building Accelerator program which provides funding support to start-ups with ambitious plans for decarbonizing the built environment. This paper will also expand upon robust processes and criteria involved in judging and down-selection of start-ups through vetting and feedback from national lab researchers and industry experts in both cleantech and contech.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Surface Energy Modulated Self‐Assembly of Percolative Gallium Nanodroplet Films for Stretchable Electronics

Advancements in soft robotics and wearable technologies have led to an increased need for flexible and stretchable electronic systems. Liquid metals like Gallium (Ga) and its alloys offer high potential in the field of stretchable electronics and photonics due to their inherent high conductivity and malleability. However, their high surface tension and native oxide formation hinder uniform wetting and continuous film formation to get conducting films. Here, we report a fabrication strategy to realize electrically conductive Ga thin films with effective thicknesses around 100 nm on polymeric and elastomeric substrates. By enhancing the surface energy of the elastomer, we create uniform Ga nanodroplets capable of sustaining stretchability up to 200% strain. Our devices exhibit electronic conduction primarily through tunneling and display strain tunable piezoresistive characteristics, which are explained using Kirchhoff's resistive network and Simmon's analytical tunneling current model. To showcase the device's capability in fields of stretchable electronics, we demonstrate several functional prototypes, including flexible devices integrated with Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), curvature and pressure sensors, and soft robotic grippers capable of sensing object curvature. The demonstrated devices highlight the potential of this approach for scalable integration of stretchable electronics in soft robotic and wearable platforms.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Robotic D and D: Smart robots - 15093

Project' managers continually seek an ever-greater optimization of time between remote handling operations and those carried out manually; therefore, new technological solutions must be deployed. Robotics offers a great opportunity in this new field of technology to carry out, for example, samplings or remediation in hostile, cluttered surroundings. Teams in charge of dismantling at the CEA have therefore first defined robotizable functions. These functions have been assembled from existing technological blocks to arrive at robots which are operating today [RICAIII, patent: FR 2925702]. Lessons learned, particularly from experience with the RICA robot, have enabled the operating technical specifications to be fine-tuned. A new study phase has been launched applying the same principle of adapting existing, proven means. The growing role of robotics today is unquestioned. Led by research and the academic world; robots such as those equipped with wheels, tracks, feet or even helicopter rotors, are today accessible to the general public, particularly via broadening of the 'open source' concept. Added to these we need tools able to manage large component deconstruction systems, like MAESTRO. Industrialization of such high-potential technological solutions has been aided by: - Easy use, - Increasing reliability, - Flexibility of 'open source' solutions, - Widening skill networks, and therefore greater technical support - Lower costs. Decontamination and dismantling (D and D) projects must be able to meet a number of special demands, increasing the number of unit designs, their costs and delivery times. The complexity of dismantling works sites mean that each is a special case to be dealt with almost independently. Such a way of approaching these projects is not on the same wavelength as industry, with tool and method standardization. The answer to the challenge of operations in difficult environments is an eco-system of functions, performed by a set of inter-connected robots. The first step towards the construction of such robot teams is devoted to functions where strength is not necessary: investigating and clean-up in hostile environments. With this in mind, the CEA Marcoule teams have been given the objective of merging the strengthening commercial robotic world with the needs of D and D, and thus to improve the transversal use of the systems. (authors)

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