'Young People with Energy' workshop
During the Easter school holidays, IPFN organized a workshop where students from Gago Coutinho Secondary School, in Alverca do Ribatejo, met former students from the same school now working at IPFN.The 12th grade students, specialising in aeronautics, learned the fundamentals of nuclear fusion, toured the experimental reactor ISTTOK (pictured) and became acquainted with how IPFN researchers are contributing to the scientific program of other tokamaks such as ITER, ASDEX-Upgrade and JET. This includes microwave reflectometry testing, control and data acquisition, the integration of diagnostics and remote handling.
Concerning the latter, the students had the opportunity to program a small scale prototype robot, reproducing the cinematography of a cargo transportation vehicle at the ITER building. They could also experiment with several sensors such as a thermal camera and a 3D reconstruction sensor.
The workshop included a visit to the Institute of Systems and Robotics, IPFN's partner in several research projects, where they observed humanoid, aerial and submarine robots.
Finally, the participants visited the recently inaugurated Faraday Museum, where historical instruments and equipment are on display. And of course, they had the opportunity to experience the academic environment during term time!
