Nuclear dismantling apparatus and method

A dismantling apparatus to be controlled remotely by a communicatively coupled haptic control system, including:

• a frame having a frame vertical axis extending between a frame upper end and a frame lower end opposite the frame upper end;
• a telescoping mast member mounted to the frame and having a mast vertical axis extending between a mast upper end and a mast lower end opposite the mast upper end, the telescoping mast member including a barrel at the mast upper end and at least one stage, the at least one stage including a bottom stage at the mast lower end;
• a winch actuator coupled to the mast member to move the mast member between a retracted position having the mast lower end a retracted distance from a frame bottom side and an extended position having the mast lower end extending an extended distance below the frame bottom side, the extended position below the retracted position, the winch actuator coupled to the frame and the bottom stage to raise and lower the bottom stage relative to the frame;
• and
• an work arm having an arm proximate end and an arm distal end opposite the arm proximate end, the work arm mounted at the arm proximate end to the mast lower end, the work arm having an end effector coupling at the arm distal end to receive an end effector.

A method of dismantling in a hazardous environment, comprising:

• mounting a frame of a dismantling apparatus to an environmental surface in the hazardous environment above a workpiece, the dismantling apparatus including mast member mounted to the frame and extendable below the frame;
• providing a haptic control system at a remote location remote from the hazardous environment;
• communicatively coupling the haptic control system in the remote location to the dismantling apparatus in the hazardous environment to control the dismantling apparatus and receive haptic feedback from the dismantling apparatus;
• operating the haptic control system in the remote location in a haptic feedback mode to lower the mast member below the frame and position a cutter secured to a lower end of the mast member adjacent the workpiece;
• and
• operating the haptic control system in the remote location while the cutter is adjacent the workpiece to apply the cutter to the workpiece to cut the workpiece free from an environmental feature.