# Episode 86: Robotics at CERN - Mario Di Castro

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2024-05-24
- Length: 17m
- Episode: 86
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-eighty-six-mario-di-castro

## Summary

Mario Di Castro, who leads the Mechatronics, Robotics and Operation section at CERN, explains how the facility uses a diverse robotic pool—including ground robots, snake robots, drones, and quadrupeds—for remote maintenance in hazardous, radioactive environments. He details the challenges of navigating inaccessible infrastructure built decades ago, the balance between teleoperation and autonomy, and the critical process of building trust among physicists by starting with simple inspection tasks before tackling complex interventions.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=8) Introduction and Overview of CERN's Robotic Pool
- [2:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=159) Maintenance Tasks in Harsh Environments
- [4:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=243) Challenges of Accessibility and Radiation
- [5:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=355) The Quadruped Robot and Navigation Advantages
- [7:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=438) Teleoperation vs. Autonomy in Maintenance
- [9:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=552) Balancing Speed and Precision in Interventions
- [11:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=692) Building Trust with Physicists and Operators
- [15:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro#t=910) Applying CERN Robotics to Other Industries

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- CERN (company)
- Robo Doc (product)
- Karaz (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [ANYbotics ANYmal quadruped with Enzo Wälchli](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-08-16-anybotics-anymal-quadruped-with-enzo-walchli) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [490: Wait Until Physics Has Happened](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-11-28-490-wait-until-physics-has-happened) (Embedded.fm)
- [74. Robots Working on the Moon and in Warehouses](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-06-14-74-robots-working-on-the-moon-and-in-warehouses) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Decommissioning chemical missiles with robots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-11-04-decommissioning-chemical-missiles-with-robots) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Ep 179: Danger Chess, Corona Motors, an Omni-Walker, and a Fast Talking Telescope](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-07-29-ep-179-danger-chess-corona-motors-an-omni-walker-and-a-fast-talking-telescope) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-24-episode-86-robotics-at-cern-mario-di-castro. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Robot Talk.