Sellafield nuclear power plant has kicked off a really cool pilot program. They’re using a groundbreaking new robotic tool, RAICo, to make radiation monitoring more effective and efficient. This pilot includes Spot, a four-legged robot. It employs an extendable arm to wield a long yellow swabbing instrument. Each move the swabbing tool makes is exactly what a human worker would do. It allows for effective and accurate monitoring of these surfaces in contaminated areas with radiological materials.
The issues faced by the health physics team at Sellafield who routinely conduct hundreds of surface swabs each day. The information generated from these swabs is crucial for developing targeted, effective decommissioning strategies. It’s the right thing to do to make sure that we keep people safe. Today’s trial follows a successful test of RAICo at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire. This is a promising sign that we’re becoming more confident when it comes to deploying robotic solutions in dangerous spaces.
Deon Bulman, who manages the remotely-operated vehicle equipment at Sellafield, highlighted the benefits of deploying Spot in hazardous environments. He explained that due to the robot’s agility and responsiveness to commands, it can safely traverse environments otherwise considered unsafe for human workers.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations,” – Deon Bulman
RAICo’s deployment with Spot is an exciting step in accomplishing our mission to improve robotics integration into the nuclear community. Unsurprisingly, we’re making big waves, and creating innovation! Bulman remarked on the importance of this initiative, stating that it aims at “pushing forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.”
This trial makes clear that amazing progress has been made in robotics. Another highlight is its unique ‘haptic feedback’ feature that provides more control and precision during the swabbing process. This continuous feedback loop gives operators real-time visibility into their robot’s movements, enabling quicker adjustments which improve accuracy and overall efficiency.
The RAICo director, Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, stressed how significant these changes are. They help implement the nuclear safety culture while ensuring continuous safety improvements and operations excellence in nuclear facilities.