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Autonomous Robot Inspects Nuclear Fusion Reactor

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Autonomous Robot Inspects Nuclear Fusion Reactor

A fully autonomous robot has been successfully deployed to inspect the inside of a nuclear fusion reactor, marking a world-first achievement. The robot, a four-legged Spot robot from Boston Dynamics, was equipped with “localization and mission autonomy solutions” from the Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) and “inspection payload” from UKAEA.

Inspecting the Joint European Torus Facility

The robot was deployed at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Joint European Torus (JET) facility over 35 days. JET was one of the world’s largest and most powerful operational fusion reactors until it was recently shut down. The robot roamed the facility twice daily, using sensors to map the layout, monitor conditions, steer around obstacles and personnel, and collect vital data.

Enhancing Safety and Cutting Costs

According to Dr. Robert Skilton from UKAEA’s hazardous environments team, “This deployment demonstrates that autonomous robots can enhance safety and cut costs.” These “next generation” solutions are becoming ready to be used in other industrial facilities such as nuclear decommissioning, environmental clean-up, and disaster relief.

Validating Autonomous Robotic Tech

The team wanted to validate that autonomous robotic tech is reliable enough for the long-term maintenance needs of fusion power plants. Human access to these facilities is limited due to the extreme environments inside, including radiation, vacuum conditions, and high temperatures.

  • Autonomous robots can do things themselves without direct control of humans.
  • They provide requirements and constraints that drive the invention of new AI and robotics algorithms.
  • The Oxford team used Boston Dynamics’ existing hardware and collision avoidance systems, technologies that have matured significantly over the years. This achievement is an important step toward eventually decommissioning the JET facility and potentially repurposing it for future fusion projects.

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