Sellafield’s health physics team have just finished their first trial with a new digitally-enabled swabbing tool. They mounted this smart tool on Spot, a cute little four-legged robot designed by Boston Dynamics. This groundbreaking initiative improves radiation detection in contaminated regions. It is a momentous progress in ensuring better environmental safety standards and decommissioning process with the nuclear industry.
The trial followed a successful test at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire. Any swab recreationally branded RAICo—short for Radically Accessible & Inclusive Communities—would be suitable for environments where radioactive material lies. At Sellafield, the health physics team has the capacity to analyse hundreds of surface swabs each day. Now, they’re gearing up to see how robotics can help them work more efficiently.
Deon Bulman, who oversees Sellafield’s plant remotely operated vehicle equipment, expressed optimism about the robot’s capabilities. “Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations,” he stated, highlighting the potential impact of integrating robotics into routine monitoring.
At the front of the Spot robot is a big, extendable arm that wields the yellow swabbing tool. This design provides improved agility and responsiveness, which empowers Spot to operate in spaces that are too risky for human workers. The swabbing tool’s use of ‘haptic feedback’ during operation allows much more control and precision.
The current trial is part of Sellafield’s drive to pilot innovative solutions in their approach to radiation monitoring. With the incorporation of robotic technology, the health physics team is looking to increase efficiency while upholding strict safety standards.
We have the enthusiastic support of Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, the director of RAICo. She knows how important the advancing technology space is to nuclear’s future. Bulman reinforced this sentiment, stating that the project is “pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.”
Sellafield is currently looking at robots to carry out swabbing in high hazard environments. The outcomes of this trial have the potential to significantly influence future decommissioning approaches. This technology greatly enhances operational safety. More than anything, it points toward a greater trend of modernization that’s taking the industry by storm.