Now the Sellafield nuclear power plant in England has launched a pivotal trial with a four-legged robot specially made to patrol for radiation. The plant has started adopting the use of the robot, known as Spot, to improve safety and efficiency in dangerous environments. This trial is an important milestone toward the successful adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear industry.
This trial will give RAICo, a new swabbing tool for rapid sampling, its first expansive test. It plugs right into Spot for even more powerful functions. This new groundbreaking tool simulates the swabbing process normally conducted by human operators. Sellafield’s health physics team takes thousands of swabs each day, monitoring radiation levels on various surfaces. This robotic solution has the potential to transform their operations.
Spot features a tall, extendable arm equipped with a yellow swabbing device. This specialized design allows it to access hard-to-reach places while still maintaining accuracy. Deon Bulman, who oversees Sellafield’s remotely operated vehicle equipment, explained that the robot’s agility and responsiveness enable it to navigate spaces deemed too dangerous for human workers.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations.” – Deon Bulman
The first series of trials proved the effectiveness of the RAICo tool when mounted on the Spot platform. This comes on the heels of a largely similar, but successful test at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire, last year. Both trials point toward promising outcomes. In addition, robotics could play an essential role in tracking and regulating radiation in nuclear plants.
Bulman stressed the significance of these breakthroughs in technology to making them a reality. He noted that using robots like Spot is “pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.” This is in line with overall intent to improve safety standards and operational efficiency across the industry.
Sellafield has been very pro-actively looking at robotics solutions. By adding this technology, they are poised to change the game on decommissioning operations in nuclear power plants. Ongoing trials are at least bridging the gap by providing hope for a better tomorrow. Robotics will lead to minimizing harmful working conditions and increased efficiencies in radiation monitoring activities.