Fusion for Energy (F4E) will award 50.000 EUR to Operview for their technology transfer demonstrator proposal. The Finnish company has won the 2024 edition of the call, launched by F4E in collaboration with Viromii to promote the use of fusion technologies in other areas. The awarded project aims to take a solution originally developed for ITER, financed by F4E, to the market of industrial work machines.

Operview is a spin-off from the Tampere University, who produced a 3D Node system that uses cameras to track the position and orientation of targets in remote handling operations. The technology was designed for the precise insertion and manipulation of objects in the ITER divertor (located at the bottom of the ITER vacuum vessel) by providing high-accuracy guidance for robotic arms.

Now, Operview aims to use the 3D Node system to make a leap to a new sector. Their demonstrator proposal sets out to adapt the system for teleoperating mobile work machines, such as terminal tractors, excavators, and forklifts. According to their plan, this could improve the safety, efficiency, and user experience when tracking machine movements and tools in industrial settings. The company has already identified opportunities for industrial use, together with partners, and is preparing to adjust, test and integrate the system to teleoperation settings.

“3D Node can greatly improve the precision to locate heavy components within tight spaces inside ITER, despite the limited viewing angles and camera positions. This will reduce the task complexity for operators, and will make the remote handling faster, safer and more efficient”, explains Emilio Ruiz, Remote Handling Programme Manager in F4E.

“Thanks to F4E’s funding and the support of Viromii brokerage experts, the winner will be able to repurpose their technology and bring it closer to market”, claims Carmen Casteras, IP & Technology Transfer Officer at F4E.

The call for demonstrator proposals received applications from various countries and sectors. The initiative is part of F4E’s Technology Transfer Programme, which aims to leverage fusion breakthroughs generated within F4E’s projects and assist businesses and researchers in applying them to other sectors. F4E has also launched a Fusion Technology Transfer Award for achieved or ongoing projects, still open to applications. In parallel, EUROfusion has also run a call for Demonstrators and will announce the winners soon.