China unveils robotic arm trio for fusion reactor maintenance, moving closer to stable clean energy and ITER support.
China has tested a giant robotic system that could help maintain future fusion reactors, moving the country closer to its long-standing goal of building an “artificial sun.”The remote-handling test platform system is designed to work in extreme environments with high heat, strong magnetic fields, and intense radiation—conditions in which human survival is impossible.
It consists of three robotic arms, including a massive manipulator capable of lifting 60 tons, roughly equivalent to the weight of 10 African elephants, with millimeter precision, according to Science and Technology Daily, a state-run Chinese newspaper.The platform was built for the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology, or CRAFT, a key project under the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei.CRAFT, nicknamed Kuafu after a mythical figure who chased the sun, complements China’s experimental fusion reactor EAST, often referred to as the “artificial sun.”Heavy lifts, fine precisionDuring testing, the main arm demonstrated vertical lifting accuracy of about 3 to 4 millimeters, while the two smaller arms consistently returned to exact positions with an accuracy of ±0.01 millimeters, Xinhua reported.“This makes it the most advanced remote-handling system of its kind in the fusion field,” CGTN said.Such precision is critical. Components like the cladding and divertor inside a reactor face constant stress from searing plasma and radiation. Regular maintenance is unavoidable, and robots are the only tools capable of performing it safely.Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has developed robotic arms for nuclear reactor vessels with a maximum tip load of two tons, far below the payload of China’s new system, according to SCMP.Beyond fusion reactor wallsPan Hongtao, a researcher at the Institute of Plasma Physics, said the team overcame materials, sensors, and control systems hurdles to build the platform.“The technologies mastered in developing the robot are expected to contribute to the operation of next-generation nuclear fusion devices, both domestically and overseas,” he told SCMP.More than 300 scientists and engineers are working on CRAFT, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.Its advances could support other projects, including the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak in Hefei, due in 2027, and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France, which involves 35 nations.Experts say the robotic platform has applications beyond fusion. According to Xinhua, it could support nuclear plant inspections, aerospace development, heavy-equipment operations, and even emergency rescue missions.Advances in the robot’s development are set to aid future nuclear fusion systems worldwide.EAST, China’s experimental “artificial sun,” has achieved significant milestones since it began operations in 2006.Managed by the Institute of Plasma Physics, it recently set a world record at the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, further paving the way toward limitless, clean fusion energy.
China Fusion Robot Clean Energy Robotics CRAFT Facility Hefei Fusion Lab ITER Support System Nuclear Fusion Maintenance Robotic Arms China
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