Remote reactivation success through the robot dog
The crane had been powered down at the switchboard in 2023 due to concerns over aging infrastructure. However, strict safety restrictions prevented workers from accessing the area to turn it back on, delaying essential waste shipment and decommissioning operations.
Dounreay’s innovation team suggested using robot dog Spot to address the problem.
The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo), a collaboration between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield, and the University of Manchester, was contacted for assistance because their in-house robot lacked a handling arm.
RAICo, which specializes in using robotics and artificial intelligence to solve nuclear problems, had previously collaborated with Dounreay.