Robots help

November 8

Robot brings safety, dexterity to Fukushima cleanup arsenal

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/business/AJ201411080026

By MAKOTO UKAI/ Staff Writer

UOZU, Toyama Prefecture--A machinery maker here has developed a "crawling" robot capable of penetrating hard-to-reach areas for decontamination work at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The device, built by Sugino Machine Ltd., moves along on a caterpillar track comprising a belt wrapped around a set of wheels. A user can safely manipulate it up to 100 meters from a contaminated area while viewing live footage from a built-in camera.

The Fukushima plant is scheduled for decommissioning after it was devastated in the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.

"This is the first radio-controlled robot in Japan that can get into every nook and cranny of a building. We want it to be used to help decontaminate the Fukushima nuclear power plant," a Sugino Machine official said.

The robot is 110 centimeters long, 70 cm wide and 80 cm tall, making it more compact than a conventional work robot. It is capable of traversing rubble and uneven surfaces to travel to the work site, then use interchangeable equipment mounted on top to suck up dust and dirt, remove contaminants by discharging high-pressure water and perform other tasks.

The device is capable of carrying a load of up to 100 kilograms and has a battery life of five hours. It went on sale in October with a price tag of about 10 million yen ($86,750).

Sugino Machine, known for its high-pressure cleaning and cutting equipment, has been developing machines for use in nuclear-related facilities for nearly 50 years, since Japan started building nuclear power plants.

The company began working on the decontamination robot following the March 2011 disaster, which triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima plant.

"Robots that can enter hazardous environments that are off-limits to humans and fully perform work there have a big role to play," said Hideaki Sakai, the 57-year-old manager of the production control department. "We want to promote technological development to help the post-disaster recovery process in Fukushima."