As ITER pushes industrial robotics into new territory, engineers are turning to advanced sensing to solve one of fusion energy’s most complex challenges: assembling and maintaining components in an environment no human can enter.
To deliver the precision required, ITER is working with Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) to integrate force-sensing technology into its robotic systems. The aim is to give these systems tactile feedback, allowing them to safely handle heavy, complex components within the confines space of the tokamak’s vacuum vessel.
Once operational, the interior of the ITER tokamak will be inaccessible due to extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions, and radiation. All maintenance and component replacement must therefore be carried out remotely.
This creates a demanding engineering scenario. Components weighing several tonnes must be manoeuvred and positioned with millimetre-scale accuracy. At this scale, even slight deflections in long robotic arms can lead to misalignment or damage to sensitive reactor parts. To manage this, ITER combines heavy-duty robotics with machine-vision and real-time force feedback to maintain control and stability throughout handling.
At the centre of this approach are force-torque sensors developed in collaboration with HBK. Integrated into robotic manipulators, these sensors measure forces and torques across multiple axes, giving the systems a functional sense of touch.
As components such as blanket modules or divertor elements are positioned, the sensors detect contact forces instantly. This allows the control system to respond in real time – compensating for deflection, refining positioning, and reducing the risk of collision. According to ITER, this capability is critical when operating within the tight constraints of the vacuum vessel.
Unlike standard industrial applications, fusion environments place sustained stress on materials and measurement systems. Sensors must maintain accuracy under mechanical load while operating in vacuum conditions and withstanding radiation exposure.
Meeting these demands has required close collaboration between HBK and ITER. Together, they have developed and qualified specialised materials, strain gauges, and cabling designed to perform reliably over long periods in fusion-relevant conditions. These efforts form part of a wider push to adapt – and in some cases rethink – established technologies for use in fusion engineering.
As ITER moves closer to operation, robotics will play an increasingly central role in how the reactor is assembled and maintained. Force-sensing enables machines or robots to operate with the control and awareness needed in environments beyond human reach.
In that sense, the work underway at ITER is not only advancing fusion but also redefining how the next generation of high‑precision robotics will operate at the limits of what is physically possible.
Source: This article is based on the original report, “ITER and industry push robotics into new territory,” published by Pat Brans on June 1, 2026. The original article can be accessed on the ITER Newsline.
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