Dr. Zhang at ANS Annual meeting

At the recent American Nuclear Society (ANS) Annual Meeting, a thought-provoking robotics panel was organized and led by Dr. Zhang. The event brought together experts from both academia and industry to delve into the opportunities and challenges of applying robotics in nuclear power plants.

The panel featured distinguished speakers, including Daniel Moneghan, Young Soo Park, Joshua Guzman Bell, PE, MBA, and was moderated by the esteemed Forrest Shriver. Their collective insights spurred a lively and insightful discussion, highlighting both the potential benefits and the technical hurdles of integrating robotics into nuclear facilities.

The panel addressed a range of topics, from the enhancement of safety and efficiency through robotic intervention to the complexities of deploying advanced technology in highly regulated environments. The discussion underscored the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing this field, bridging the gap between innovative research and practical application.

Acknowledgments were extended to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its crucial funding support, which has been instrumental in advancing the research presented. The ANS Robotics and Remote Systems Division (RRSD) also received heartfelt thanks for sponsoring the panel, contributing to the success and visibility of this important discourse.

iFAN Lab in NPIC&HMIT 2023 Conference

iFAN Lab members, Dr. Fan Zhang, Sungmin Kim, and Stephen Yoo, participated and showed the great work of the lab in the NPIC&HMIT 2023 conference held in Knoxville, Tennessee. As session chair of two technical sessions and two panel discussions, Dr. Zhang actively lead the idea sharing on cyber security for LWRs and advanced reactors and risk-informed cyber security. Sungmin presented his work in cyber-attack detection and distinguish system for nuclear power plants, and participated in the student research lighting round presenting robot assisted online monitoring framework for nuclear power plants. Stephen presented his work of resilience strategy against false data injection attacks targeting nuclear power plants. The lab members were able to gain valuable feedbacks and experience throughout the conference. Way to go, iFAN Lab!