Sellafield is one of the most contaminated nuclear sites in Europe. The facility just recently concluded its initial trial of a specialized bristled swab. This tool is primarily intended for Spot, the four-legged robot developed by Boston Dynamics. This project intends to improve safety and efficiency in regions that store or transport radioactive materials.
In the trial, the swabbing tool was mounted onto Spot’s extendable arm. The robotic arm holds the yellow swabbing tool with surgical precision. It’s intended to mimic the manual swabbing motion typically performed by a human laborer. Sellafield’s health physics team regularly conducts hundreds of surface swabs daily to monitor radiation levels, making this technological advancement particularly significant.
Spot’s agility and responsiveness enables it to operate in spaces that are too dangerous for human workers. Through the use of this robotic system, Sellafield wants to help facilitate quicker, safer, more cost-effective decommissioning missions. Deon Bulman operates the plant’s remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, equipment. Here’s what Bill has to say about how vital these advances are for the nuclear industry.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations.” – Deon Bulman
The continued partnership with RAICo, under the leadership of Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, has been key in building out the swabbing tool. This collaboration is the latest sign of a wider shift within the nuclear industry toward realizing advanced robotics to improve operations and safety. A successful parallel test at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire. This achievement corroborates this technology’s commercial potential.
The haptic feedback of the swabbing tool means that users are given more control and precision when the tool comes into contact with different surfaces. This new feature increases the tool’s ability to effectively measure radiation levels. It ensures complete surveillance over areas that are beyond human operators’ capacity to go due to risk.
Sellafield is moving quickly to be more innovative. By adopting robotics to supplement their radiation monitoring efforts, they’re taking a monumental step in changing the narrative of how nuclear facilities value safety and efficiency. Collaborating and innovating The outcome of this successful trial positions Sellafield as being front and centre in the adoption of advanced technology across the nuclear sector.
“Pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.” – Deon Bulman