Purpose – To report on a workshop, “Future UK Robotics Research Opportunities and Challenges”, held at Salford University in November 2005. Design/methodology/approach – The driver for the workshop was fear that the UK could miss out on future opportunities in the robotics market, which...

Purpose – Aims to clarify the use of “nuclear” robots with special reference to one UK contractor (Magnox) and the cost‐effectiveness of its decommissioning programme. Design/methodology/approach – Goes through the protocol of the use of robots in the disposal of contaminated scrap....

Purpose – Sets out to discuss lessons learned from the creation and use of an over‐the‐internet teleoperation testbed. Design/methodology/approach – Seven lessons learned from the testbed are presented. Findings – This teleoperation interface improves task performance, as proved by a...

Purpose – Aims to report on the various types of tele‐operated mobile service robots for remote inspection and maintenance, especially in the field of nuclear industry. Design/methodology/approach – Describes nuclear electric robot operator (NERO), Sizewell A duct inspection equipment...

Purpose – Seeks to present a new method of trajectory planning, i.e. genetic algorithms (GA), for six‐degree‐of‐freedom (DOF) industrial robots. Design/methodology/approach – Describes the effects of the GA method with the advantage of quaternion algebra and by a process of elimination...

Purpose – According to UN estimates more than 2,000 people are killed or maimed every month by land‐mines. Although some mechanical solutions to their removal have been proposed, this is still heavily dependent on human manipulation. This study seeks to posit a robotic solution to this...

Purpose – To present a new special explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot designed to operate onboard airplanes. Design/methodology/approach – The design approach adopted is multidisciplinary: mechanical and control architectures are conceived simultaneously. Modularity and lifecycle are...

Purpose – Aims to describe how to make an industrial robot work as a telemanipulator with force feedback, in order to carry out various tasks for remote handling in nuclear fuel cycle plants. Design/methodology/approach – The robot Staübli RX170 (used as a slave arm) has been fitted with a...