ROMAN

ROMAN is a remotely operated serial manipulator developed by Sòphia High Tech for inspection and maintenance inside the RFX-mod2 nuclear-fusion research machine. It enters through twelve access ports and reaches first-wall sections, where a custom end effector grasps, removes and reinstalls the graphite tiles lining the chamber.

Sòphia High Tech handled mechanical design, kinematic and structural analysis, manufacture, surface treatment, metrology, assembly, testing and system integration. HeRobots and the University of Naples developed automation and kinematic control for the arm. Two ROMAN units were delivered to the university's Department of Industrial Engineering in March 2026, establishing the system as a commissioned project platform for a specific nuclear-research facility.