Sellafield nuclear power plant in Britain has introduced a pioneering trial. They’re currently testing a new four-legged robot to help scan radiation levels in dangerous environments that people can’t easily access. The trial is the biggest step yet in deploying this robotic technology into the nuclear sector. Its purpose is to determine whether these machines could safely and efficiently assume important functions typically performed by human workers.
In this new robot, the big arm closely squeezes a cylindrical, yellow swabbing stick. It does a great job of imitating the swabbing technique used by Sellafield’s health physics crew. Each day, this team carries out hundreds of swabs on surfaces to monitor radiation, ensuring that safety standards are maintained throughout the facility. This is where the introduction of Bam the robot will boost things with more agility and precision. This highly sensitive machine will accurately measure radiation in environments inhospitable to a human operator.
First up is Deon Bulman, head of remotely operated vehicle equipment team at Sellafield. He praised the value of deploying robotic technology when it’s too dangerous to send humans. He commented about the robot’s maneuverability, which gives it an advantage to go into spaces where it’s not safe for humans to go. Furthermore, Bulman highlighted the robot’s capabilities, stating, “Together, these capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations while pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.”
Last year, a similar robotic technology was successfully tested by the same research team at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire. Currently, they’re running a test program at Sellafield. Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, the director of RAICo, remarked on the significance of this development: “This technology could have an impact on both nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering sites.” Developments like these can help open the door to greater adoption of robotics into the daily safety procedures the nuclear sector already has in place.
Radiological safety is paramount, and Sellafield is at the forefront of finding cutting-edge solutions and creativity in radiation monitoring to support safety. The data collected through this trial will be instrumental in developing smart, effective decommissioning strategies. The drone’s haptic feedback allows for highly dynamic precision control by operators. Now, they’re able to do these assessments with more precision than ever.