Robot engineers in cantonal Fribourg have developed the start-up CERN’s second robot: one able to inspect and maintain the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This innovative robot is 20 centimeters (8 inches) long and 3.7 centimeters (1.5 inches) wide. It will greatly increase the accuracy and safety of the Collider’s operations within the 27-kilometer-long collider ring.
The robot performs largely autonomously, deftly dodging walls, columns, and other obstacles through the lengthy, narrow network of pipes. That’s how well it works in the LHC, located some 100 meters (328 feet) below the French-Swiss border near Geneva. Of all NASA’s robotic missions, its ability to traverse very cold, icy worlds makes it especially well-suited for this task. The LHC accelerates two beams of protons almost to the speed of light and smashes them together. To control these particles as they zip around its 17-mile circular tunnel, it uses more than 1,200 dipole magnets lined up in a row.
The robot employs cutting-edge artificial intelligence to take complex, high resolution images under rigorous conditions throughout the beamline. Yet it doesn’t stop there, it deftly points out any abnormalities or discrepancies. This technological advancement will make maintenance procedures more efficient than ever.
Nick Sykes, the director of UKAEA’s robotics center, expressed pride in the collaboration, stating, “By combining our remote handling experience with CERN’s scientific excellence, we’re helping ensure the Large Hadron Collider operates safely and efficiently for years to come.”
Dr. Giuseppe Bregliozzi from CERN highlighted the transformative potential of this innovation, declaring that it will “transform how we inspect and maintain the LHC.” He further emphasized its importance by adding, “It marks a major step forward in keeping our experiments running smoothly.”
Developed from the ground-up by CERN experts, this robotic solution meets the extreme challenges of inspecting the LHC. It’s a historic time for the incorporation of robotics into high-stakes scientific exploration. The LHC is at the forefront of these kinds of groundbreaking discoveries in particle physics. Only with this technology will significant increases in operational effectiveness and safety be realized.