Computer Aided Tele-Operation Applied to Safeguards

The SAOV project aims to build a nuclear material pilot storage facility integrating computer assisted teleoperation for safeguards operations. A remotely operated manipulating system is used to keep human intervention to a minimum. The system is constituted of two major components: a remotely guided vehicle carrying a manipulating arm, and a central graphical workstation that is the system's console. Remote handling requires both accurate determination of the vehicle's position, and a human interface such that the system's operator may \"consider\" himself inside the storage area. An instrument playing an important role within the system is a laser range finder carried on top of the vehicle. Range information is used for accurate position determination, and range images are processed to extract spatial information as \"seen\" from the vehicle. This information is paramount for safeguard checking and validation, as well as for helping the operator to guide the vehicle (computer aided teleoperation). Also included in the vehicle are a TV camera and general purpose equipment. The extensive information that is to be displayed to the operator, justifies the use of a common screen interface presenting only the information specified by the operator.