Collaborators from Rovco, Forth Engineering, D-RisQ, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Manchester University have developed an autonomous robot for cleaning up nuclear waste.

The Autonomous Aquatic Inspection and Intervention (A212) robot is designed to take the place of personnel deployed in the clean up of hazardous environments such as spent fuel ponds — which are storage pools for spent fuel from nuclear reactors.

Using a system dubbed SubSlam, the A212 is designed to live stream 3D images of matter in the spent fuel ponds to onshore pilots who are remotely tasked with deciding what to do with the substances.

According to its developers, the A212 features an advanced perception system, mapping capabilities and collision avoidance systems to automate clean-up operations in nuclear environments.

The team recently demonstrated A212’s capabilities at Forth Engineering’s 1.2 million liter tank facility and intend to continue testing the system with the goal of eventually automating and removing all personnel from harsh nuclear environments.

For more information on the A212, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Forth Engineering.