The Sellafield nuclear power plant in the UK recently completed trials with a four-legged robot called Spot to monitor radiation in dangerous locations. This innovative technology is expected to improve safety precautions and help facilitate decommissioning at the facility more efficiently. It comes after an initial similar successful test last year at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire.
Spot, a dramatic yellow-and-black robotic dog, is equipped with a big, reach-extending arm. This arm immobilizes a specialized swabbing tool called RAICo. This attachment replicates the swabbing action usually done by human laborers, resulting in a faster and safer operation. Daily life for the health physics team on-site at Sellafield entails performing hundreds of surface swabs daily. They record radiation ranges to inform appropriate decommissioning approaches.
Throughout the trial, Spot proved himself to be nimble and quick in spaces off-limits to human laborers in hazardous conditions. The robot’s abilities not only mitigate the risk of an event occurring, but they allow for operations to be more efficient faster. Deon Bulman, who manages the plant’s remotely operated vehicle equipment, said it made a lot of sense to do these jobs using robotics.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations.” – Deon Bulman
The RAICo attachment gives users ‘haptic feedback’ to help guide them through the swabbing process. This new feature allows you to be more intentional and targeted in your outreach. It becomes a priceless asset in settings where human touch may cause severe harm. The information gathered through Spot’s swabs will be key to ensuring safety standards at Sellafield continue to be upheld.
Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, director of RAICo, expressed her happiness at the positive result of the trial. She further stressed that these types of innovations are critical for advancing the use of advanced robotics within the nuclear industry.
“Pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.” – Deon Bulman