A robot to monitor nuclear facilities: Using autonomous radiation-monitoring assistance to reduce risk and cost

Benjamin Bird; Arron Griffiths; Horatio Martin; Eduard Codres; Jennifer Jones; Alexandru Stancu; Barry Lennox; Simon Watson; Xavier Poteau

doi:10.1109/MRA.2018.2879755

A robot to monitor nuclear facilities: Using autonomous radiation-monitoring assistance to reduce risk and cost

Benjamin Bird, Arron Griffiths, Horatio Martin, Eduard Codres, Jennifer Jones, Alexandru Stancu, Barry Lennox, Simon Watson, Xavier Poteau

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Nuclear facilities can often require continuous monitoring to ensure there is no contamination of radioactive materials that might lead to safety or environmental issues. The current approach to radiological monitoring is to use human operators, which is both time consuming and cost inefficient, and as with many repetitive, routine tasks, there are considerable opportunities for the process to be improved through the utilization of autonomous robotic systems. This paper describes the design and development of an autonomous, ground based radiological monitoring robot, Continuous Autonomous Radiation Monitoring Assistance (CARMA) and how it was able to detect and locate a fixed a source that was embedded into the floor when it was deployed into an active
area on the Sellafield nuclear site. This deployment was the first time that a fully autonomous robot had ever been deployed at Sellafield, the largest nuclear site in Europe.

Original language	English
Article number	8574974
Pages (from-to)	35-43
Number of pages	9
Journal	IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine
Volume	26
Issue number	1
Early online date	13 Dec 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2018.2879755
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2019

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Dalton Nuclear Institute

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10.1109/MRA.2018.2879755

Cite this

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title = "A robot to monitor nuclear facilities: Using autonomous radiation-monitoring assistance to reduce risk and cost",

abstract = "Nuclear facilities can often require continuous monitoring to ensure there is no contamination of radioactive materials that might lead to safety or environmental issues. The current approach to radiological monitoring is to use human operators, which is both time consuming and cost inefficient, and as with many repetitive, routine tasks, there are considerable opportunities for the process to be improved through the utilization of autonomous robotic systems. This paper describes the design and development of an autonomous, ground based radiological monitoring robot, Continuous Autonomous Radiation Monitoring Assistance (CARMA) and how it was able to detect and locate a fixed a source that was embedded into the floor when it was deployed into an activearea on the Sellafield nuclear site. This deployment was the first time that a fully autonomous robot had ever been deployed at Sellafield, the largest nuclear site in Europe.",

author = "Benjamin Bird and Arron Griffiths and Horatio Martin and Eduard Codres and Jennifer Jones and Alexandru Stancu and Barry Lennox and Simon Watson and Xavier Poteau",

note = "Funding Information: This work was funded and supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (Project EP/P01366X/1 and EP/P018505/1), Sellafield Ltd., and the National Nuclear Laboratory. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 1994-2011 IEEE. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - Jones, Jennifer

AU - Stancu, Alexandru

AU - Lennox, Barry

AU - Watson, Simon

AU - Poteau, Xavier

N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded and supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (Project EP/P01366X/1 and EP/P018505/1), Sellafield Ltd., and the National Nuclear Laboratory. Publisher Copyright: © 1994-2011 IEEE. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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AB - Nuclear facilities can often require continuous monitoring to ensure there is no contamination of radioactive materials that might lead to safety or environmental issues. The current approach to radiological monitoring is to use human operators, which is both time consuming and cost inefficient, and as with many repetitive, routine tasks, there are considerable opportunities for the process to be improved through the utilization of autonomous robotic systems. This paper describes the design and development of an autonomous, ground based radiological monitoring robot, Continuous Autonomous Radiation Monitoring Assistance (CARMA) and how it was able to detect and locate a fixed a source that was embedded into the floor when it was deployed into an activearea on the Sellafield nuclear site. This deployment was the first time that a fully autonomous robot had ever been deployed at Sellafield, the largest nuclear site in Europe.

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A robot to monitor nuclear facilities: Using autonomous radiation-monitoring assistance to reduce risk and cost

Abstract

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

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Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear (RAIN)

Microwave Sensing for Avoidance of High-Risk Ground Conditions for Mobile Robots

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A robot to monitor nuclear facilities: Using autonomous radiation-monitoring assistance to reduce risk and cost

Abstract

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

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Projects

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear (RAIN)

Research output

Microwave Sensing for Avoidance of High-Risk Ground Conditions for Mobile Robots

Cite this