The demand for safety in modern industrial processes has come to involve an increasing demand for teleoperated devices in order to avoid the exposure of humans to hazardous conditions during the operation, maintenance under normal or abnormal conditions and decommissioning of equipment after its useful lifetime has terminated. An important for teleoperations has been reached in the 1990s as the first commercial nuclear power stations reach the end of their useful life. Simultaneously, progress in the work on controlled thermonuclear fusion demonstrates the importance of teleoperation in the assembly of future reactors as well as in their maintenance and decommissioning. "Teleoperation: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation" presents the fundamentals and the advances in simulation and experimentation in the teleoperations field, dealing with such matters as path planning, calibration, autonomy, safety, and radiation hardening. The book addresses users working in the field of engineering R&D and plant operation management. Students in schools of engineeering, too, should find the book of value, as it addresses topics of acute practical interest in an area that can only grow in importance.

Some Key Issues in Remote Handling M. Becquet TELEMAN: A European Communities Robotics Programme for the Nuclear Industry B. Tolley 7 Practical Experience Using Teleoperated Technology: Teleoperated Devices Used in an Accelerator Coraplex R. Horne 15 Artificial Realities Techniques for Teleoperation of Robotic Systems D. Marini 21 Robot Motion Planning: A Survey C. Torras 27 Autonomous Mobile Robots and Teleoperation J. del R. MilZCm, C. Torms and M. Becquet 41 Kinematic Calibration in Remote Handling and Teleoperation Environment J. -M. Renders 55 Transporters for Teleoperations in JET T. Raimondi 87 Nuclear Teleoperation. Particular Challenges in Decommissioning Applications M. Decreton 109 Manipulators Mascot IV Used in JET and Prospects of Enhancement T. Raimondi and L. Galbiati 139 Position Sensing for Advanced Teleoperation in Nuclear Environment M. Decreton 163 Advanced Telerobotic Systems. Single-Master Multi-SLave Manipulator System and Cellular Robotic System T. Fukuda and K. Kosuge 195 Introduction to Robotics and Computer Vision J. E. Besanqon 209 The NET Remote Maintenance Programme D. Maisonnier and T. Reeve 243 Color Plates 259 Preface The solution to today's demand for safety in Industrial Processes and Plants involves more and more the use of teleoperated devices to avoid human exposure to hazards. Such hazards occur during operation and maintenance, in normal or accidental conditions, and during decommissioning at the end of the life time of installations. The year 1989 has represented, for Teleoperation, an important landmark with the closure of the first commercial nuclear power stations which have reached the end of their life time.