millimeter

In Chinese mythology, Kuafu was a giant who challenged the gods when trying to catch the sun to give light and heat to their people. Centuries later, China re -pursues that same ambition, but now with avant -garde science: to create a “Artificial sun” that provides clean and unlimited energy. And in that way, the engineers have just presented a new protagonist worthy of legend: a colossal robot. The arm for fusion. The Asian giant has developed a remote manipulation platform for future fusion reactors. It is a system with three robotic arms, whose main manipulator can raise up to 60 tons – the weight of ten African elephants – with a millimeter accuracy, According to South China Morning Post. Meanwhile, the two secondary arms stand out for even more extreme precision: ± 0.01 millimeters, which makes it the most advanced remote management system in the field of fusion. Closer to the “artificial sun.” The objective of this whole project is to achieve stable nuclear fusion, that almost inexhaustible energy that mimics the process that occurs in the sun’s core. In fact, China has been breaking records for years in its East experimental reactor, which this year has achieved Maintain a confined plasma for 1,066 seconds, a world record that exceeds 403 seconds Realized in 2023. But for this energy to become commercial, it is necessary to resolve a major challenge: maintenance. The internal components of a reactor, such as coating or the diving, are constantly damaged by heat, radiation and magnetic fields. And this is where this new robot comes into play: no human being could work in these extreme conditions. The in -depth project. The robot is part of the craft (Comprehensive Research Facity for Fusion Technology), an installation in Hefei, Anhui, nicknamed “Kuafu” in honor of the mythical giant. More than 300 scientists and engineers participate in this project, According to SCMPunder the supervision of the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “We have developed a machine capable of meeting extremely demanding requirements by overcoming obstacles in materials, sensors and control,” explained Pan HongtaoInstitute researcher. The idea is to use craft as a test bank to develop and validate key fusion technologies, including those that will be applied in the future Chinese experimental fusion reactor (CFETR) and in the International Iter project In France. Ready to go into action? For now, we are not talking about an operational robot in a reactor, but of an experimental platform. According to China Dailythe system has already exceeded the evaluation of experts and will serve as an engineering verification platform to ensure that, when reactors enter into operation, remote maintenance is safe and precise. Craft, where it is housed, plans to be completed in the late 2025. Beyond fusion. Although the immediate objective is to maintain fusion reactors, technology is not limited to that field. According to CGTNthe advances achieved in this robot could also be applied in inspection of nuclear plants, aerospace industry, operations with heavy machinery or even emergency rescues. A global career for the artificial sun. The Kuafu robot does not arise in a vacuum. Other countries also develop remote maintenance systems, although with much lower capabilities. The most advanced arm of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) supports only 2 tons. In contrast, the Chinese robot can manipulate 30 times higher loads. At the international level, the Iter project in France – in which 35 countries participate – will have a system Able to handle up to 45 tons. The new Chinese system already exceeds it in load capacity, although both remain development platforms rather than operating systems. The road map is clear but slow: Chinese experts They calculate that they are still 30 to 50 years to see commercial fusion reactors. And the European Union, with its Eurofusion projectdoes not expect to start testing with plasma until the end of this year. Forecasts The Chinese commitment to nuclear fusion advances with firm steps. The development of a robot capable of lifting 60 tons with surgical precision is not a simple engineering achievement: it is an essential piece for someday fusion reactors to maintain and function stable. Humanity He has been trying to replicate the energy of the sun on earth. With advances like this, China shows that it is determined to be the protagonist in that race. Decades may be missing to see fusion plants in operation, but every step we bring us a little more to that utopia to capture the sun. Image | Freepik Xataka | The largest nuclear fusion project on the planet has survived the setbacks. This is the date on which Iter should be ready