FORCE REFLECTION EFFECTS ON OPERATOR PERFORMANCE OF REMOTE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION SYSTEMS FOR NUCLEAR FACILITIES

ROBOTIC MACHINES THAT DUPLICATE THE MANIPULATIVE SKILLS OF AHUMAN OPERATOR ARE CRITICALLY NEEDED IN COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO REDUCE OPERATOR EXPOSURE IN HIGH-RADIATION AREAS. ROBOTIC SYSTEMS WITH FORCE REFLECTION (FORCE INFORMATION REFLECTED THROUGH A CONTROL JOYSTICK) AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL FEEDBACK CAN IMPROVE TASK PERFORMANCE AND REDUCE FATIGUE. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL USE A VERY LOW INERTIA, BILATERAL, UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROLLER TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS MODELS AND LEVELS OF FORCE REFLECTION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MANIPULATIVE SKILLS TASKS IMPORTANT TO THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY.INITIALLY, THE RELATIONSHIP OF TASK CHARACTERISTICS TO TYPES OF FORCE FEEDBACK CONTROL AND OF OPERATOR STRENGTH TO LEVELS OF FORCE REQUIRED WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THESE TEST RESULTS WILL BE USED IN DEVELOPING PARAMETERS OR DEFINITIONS OF GOOD TASK PERFORMANCE. USING THESE PARAMETERS, AN ADAPTIVE FORCE-REFLECTING CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD THEN "LEARN" A SPECIFIC OPERATOR/TASK COMBINATION AND WOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE IF THIS ABILITY CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER TASK LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE.