England’s Sellafield nuclear power plant is kicking off a fascinating test. To complement this, they are testing a four-legged robot, Spot, to detect radiation levels. This effort is part of extending and improving public safety measures and more efficiently decommissioning the facility.
The major focus of the trial will be the implementation of a specialized tool, called RAICo, that attaches to the Spot robot. This tool allows the robot to swab contaminated surfaces in high-risk areas where radioactive materials might be located. Here, the Cumbrian plant toast their success on passing the first test of the swabbing tool. This is an important first step to deploying robotics for radiation monitoring.
Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, director of RAICo, spoke enthusiastically about the trial. It further develops an incredible experiment which was already successful beyond imagination last year at the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in Culham, Oxfordshire, where researchers trialed similar fusion technology.
Sellafield’s health physics team regularly perform swabs of hundreds of surfaces. They deposit critical information on how to execute decommissioning plans and ensure public safety. Adding Spot into this process really enhances what we’re able to do. Its design emulates the manual swabbing movements that human operators typically conduct.
Deon Bulman, who oversees Sellafield’s remotely operated vehicle equipment, highlighted the robot’s agility and responsiveness. He explained how these attributes allow Spot to be productive in places considered unsafe for human employees.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations.” – Deon Bulman
The RAICo tool is equipped with state-of-the-art ‘haptic feedback’ technology, allowing for improved guidance and accuracy in the swabbing procedure. Through this recent development, Yiichiro has enhanced the precision of radiation monitoring. It further pushes the nuclear industry to adopt advanced robotics.
Bulman noted how critical this technology is to transforming the nation’s safety approach.
“Pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.” – Deon Bulman
As Sellafield continues to explore innovative solutions for managing radioactive materials, the successful integration of robotics into their operations could set a precedent for future practices in nuclear decommissioning.