Remote Applications in Challenging Environments

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RACE

RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments)
Abbreviation	RACE
Formation	2014
Type	Research association/institute
Purpose	Remote handling applications
Location	Culham Centre for Fusion Energy Culham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Region served	Worldwide
Parent organization	UKAEA
Affiliations	The Welding Institute, National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)
Website	http://www.race.ukaea.uk/

Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) is a remote handling and robotics test facility located at Culham Science Centre near Oxford, UK, operated by UKAEA.^[1] As part of the UK Government's Robotics and Autonomous Systems Strategy (RAS) this is one of the initiatives that is supporting development and growth in remote handling. RACE uses the broad range of expertise from UKAEA and CCFE's past experience in remote handling used on JET (Joint European Torus).

RACE defines a ‘challenging environment’ as one in which conditions make it impossible or unacceptable for people to conduct useful work. The physical challenges to overcome might include high radiation, extreme temperatures, limited access, operation in vacuum and magnetic fields. Combinations of such conditions are routinely found in sectors including nuclear, space, petrochemical, construction and mining.^[2] RACE is partnering with industry and academia to use other skills in robotics and remote handling to develop solutions that work reliably, safely and cost effectively in the most extreme environments imaginable. RACE's long-term goal is to design and operate plant and machinery for long periods with zero manual intervention.