Research Project
Underwater Robot for Nuclear Power Plant
Project Duration
2025–2026
Role and Contribution
Project Manager and Lead Developer (Approx. 70% Contribution)
Technologies and Skills Applied
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Embedded Hardware Design (OrCAD: Schematic Design, PCB Layout)
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Embedded Software Design (STM32)
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Robot Operating System (ROS 2)
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Mechanical Design / CAD (SolidWorks)
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Hardware Integration & Electrical Installation
POSTECH-KHNP Robot Research Centre (PKRC)
I served as the Student Leader for the POSTECH-KHNP Robot Research Centre (PKRC) project, a joint initiative between the university and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) with a total budget of approximately €4 million (6 Billion KRW) over three years. The project’s goal is to develop robotic systems capable of performing complex tasks within the hazardous environments of nuclear power plants.
Standardised Robot Interface Board
To develop multiple robots for the PKRC project, a unified hardware approach was necessary to minimise development overhead and streamline programming and maintenance. To address this, I designed a standardised robot interface board tailored for Jetson Orin-based systems.
By standardising communication interfaces, power distribution, and GPIO configurations, this board has significantly reduced setup time and unified hardware and software architectures across various projects.
Currently, three underwater robots and two surface vehicles utilise this newly developed interface board.
Standardised Robot Interface Board for Jetson Orin-Based Systems (Jan 2026)
Internal Wiring Configuration of the PKRC Underwater Robot (May 2025)
Underwater Robot for Nuclear Power Plant
As the student project leader, I directed the development of an underwater robot system designed for the precise inspection of enclosed aquatic environments, such as fire protection reservoirs and spent fuel pools.
I designed the robot’s mechanical structure in SolidWorks and utilised my robot interface board as the main controller. Multiple underwater tests have verified that the robot operates flawlessly at depths of up to 10 metres, performing high-precision inspections using a camera and a line laser module.
Celebrating the Completion of the New PKRC Underwater Robot (Apr 2025)
Underwater Robot Performing Tank Inspection (Sep 2025)
Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Using the Developed Robot Interface Board (Sep 2025)