On-board remote-controlled centrifuge robot

摘要

Ten years elapsed between the first idea of an on-board robot and the first successfull centrifuge tests performed with the TOP system (TeleOPerator). This Cartesian-type robot is installed on the top of rectangular or cylindrical containers and is able to take and position a tool in any location using its four degrees of freedom. Its capacity to change tools during a test allow to perform various operations on the model. This robot opens up a new dimension in the development of geotechnical centrifuge modelling. It has become possible, for example, to build on a compact landfill, to install piles either by drilling or by driving, to load structures and to conduct in-situ tests utilising a variety of tools, without stopping the centrifuge.