Sellafield has recently begun a demonstration employing cutting-edge robotic technology. This program would improve the safety and efficiency of operations while tracking radiation in dangerous sectors. The plant tested a new tool called RAICo, intended to be paired with a four-legged robot called Spot. This new tech is being developed to help accelerate the swabbing of radioactive metal surfaces, drastically minimizing risk exposure to human workers.
The RAICo tool simulates the swabbing technique that people typically would do. This technology makes it possible to perform detailed surface analysis in toxic environments. Sellafield’s health physics emergency team does hundreds of swabs daily on different surfaces. This trial is the most promising yet advancement in their operational capabilities.
Spot’s most notable feature, the large, extendable arm. With its signature yellow swabbing stick, it’s become the most visible and recognizable robotic platform for this initiative. Deon Bulman, who manages the remotely operated vehicle equipment at the plant, highlighted the benefits of deploying Spot in these spaces. The robot’s agility and responsiveness make it well-suited for navigating areas deemed unsafe for human intervention.
“Those capabilities support faster, safer, and more cost-effective decommissioning operations.” – Deon Bulman
RAICo has already been deployed with success at Sellafield. This comes after a similar trial in a ground-breaking fusion experiment at the Joint European Torus facility in Culham, Oxfordshire, last year. Dr. Kirsty Hewitson, the director of RAICo, underscored the importance of these trials. They are very important for moving forward the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector.
Bulman further explained that the robot’s ‘haptic feedback’ system while swabbing allows for greater control and precision. This improvement doesn’t just make freight safer, it improves performance across the board. This feature is especially important in making sure correct data is collected in spaces where radiation levels need to be closely tracked.
This initial trial at Sellafield has now been successfully completed. It’s a big step forward in robotic solutions becoming commonplace in everyday radioactive materials handling. In an increasingly still-developing nuclear industry, the opportunities for robotics to modernize practices around decommissioning stand to be revolutionary.