RAICo’s experts brought a specially equipped version of robot dog Spot to the site and collaborated with the Dounreay team to develop a safe and effective approach. After a week of practice on a mock switchboard in a nearby storeroom, Spot was ready. In a carefully executed maneuver, it used a gripped pole to push the real switch into the “on” position. A loud “clunk” confirmed success as power was restored to the long-dormant crane.
“This is a fantastic example of collaboration through RAICo leading to the acceleration of deployment of robotic technology to unlock a real-world challenge in an efficient and safe way. It’s supporting us to keep our people out of harm while developing them, transferring specialist knowledge and skills across our group,” said Kate Canning, head of R&D at NDA, in a statement.