It’s Not Just Chernobyl Where Robots Could Help
The timing of this research project, Scott said, is important. The Ukrainian government is continuing its gradual decommissioning of Chernobyl. But the UK is also gearing up for the closure of a major nuclear waste site, too. Other nuclear waste sites can be found around the world, pointing to still more applications for robots to help out.
Other robotic efforts could also yield breakthroughs. In Fukushima, where the Daiichi nuclear power plant melted down following an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the plant’s owner has deployed robots as well. Early efforts saw robots essentially being fried by radiation, but a probe sent into the damaged reactor in 2019 was able to handle radioactive debris. Still, clean up there is expected to take decades even with a little help from our robot friends.
