ROBOTS USED AFTER NUCLEAR FALLOUT

By: PRAWAL JAIN, PATEL ROSHANKUMAR SUBEDAR, JOAQUIM JOSSY

(2019H1060034P) (2019H1060035P) (2019H1060036P)

Introduction
Robots play a key role in accessing places where humans cannot access due to hazardous
environments and size constraint. This makes robots of extreme importance during natural
calamities where access under rubble is not easy. One such situation is created when Nuclear
power plants have a fallout due to human error (Three-mile island incident, Chernobyl incident)
or due to natural calamities (Fukushima incident). After a Nuclear fallout, the surroundings
become inhospitable to any kind of lifeform due to radiation. Here robots are used to carry out
operations which humans cannot owing to threat of their lives. In context to this; Robots are
used mainly in three areas: -
 Surveillance (to access under the rubble and gather firsthand information about the
situation)
 Radiation measurement
 To carry out physical works
These robots have to be designed specifically for such situations as radiations leaks from the
powerplant causes damage to mechanical and electronic components of the robots. Also,
communication with these robots poses a challenge as most kind of electromagnetic
communications are disrupted due to the radiation. A number of robots have been designed
from 1960 to present time; but we will be concentrating on the robots that were used on the
aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear plant fallout which is the culmination of the robotic
advancements that have been made in this field.

1) SAKURA
SAKURA is a rescue robot developed by Chiba Institute of Technology located at Japan. It
was developed on the wake of the Fukushima fallout especially after its predecessor the
QUINCE failed to traverse the rubble terrain the Fukushima plant.
It is a robot capable of carrying out surveillance, radiation measurement, and perform
physical works on top of its mobility features. It constitutes of four parts as below: Sensors,
Manipulator, Transmitter & receiver and Vehicle.

Manipulator:
The SAKURA robot can be classified as a mobile robot with an articulated arm kind of
configuration. It has a manipulator made of 12 revolute joint. The manipulator is capable of
achieving 6 degrees of freedom. The use end effector attached to SAKURA during the
Fukushima incident was a gripper. It was mostly used to open doors of the plant during
surveillance. SAKURA has a manipulator length of 1900mm which is capable of carrying a
payload of 4.5kg.
Sensors:
The SAKURA is fitted with a dosimeter to measure the radiation levels. It also has an onboard
pan -tilt-zoom camera with lightning which was used to gather first hand information of the
surroundings. It also had a recording feature onboard. The camera was used to traverse the
robot as well for operating the end effector which was mainly used to open doors. It has a Li
ion battery power source which is capable of running the robot for 4 hours. It can be operated
using wires or through wireless network using a laptop and a joystick.

Vehicle:
The SAKURA has a tracker and pulley for mobilization which has 4 degrees of freedom which
is capable of traversing rubble and also has the ability to climb stair which are at an angle of
30 -45 degrees.

FIGURE 1: SAKURA climbing stairs FIGURE 2: SAKURA with gripper

Specifications:
Dimensions L=720 mm, W=510, H=450 mm
Weight 47.5kg (w/o manipulator), 60kg (with
manipulator)
Speed 1.5kmph
Communication Wired or wireless
Power Source Li ion Battery (4 hours on single charge)

2) MEISTeR:
Type- Disaster Recovery Support Robot
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has built up a model of the "MEISTeR
(Maintenance Equipment Integrated System of Telecontrol Robot)," a two-equipped robot
to help recuperation work after catastrophes or serious mishaps by performing light-
obligation errands in territories blocked off by people. By changing its arms' connection
instruments, the robot can perform different assignments, for example, conveying items,
penetrating and opening/shutting of valves.
It is a Radiation proof robot delivered by MHI to Japan Atomic Energy Agency for the
nuclear hazard response in the critical accident at the nuclear fuel processing facility in Tokai-
mura in 1999. The MEISTeR gives upgraded radiation insurance, including anti-contamination
measures, improved remote control ability.
It can perform free movements as of humans with the help of its 7-axis control system(degree
of freedom), and different instruments can be appended to the arm ends as per the work
required. By connecting various tools to each arm, the robot can embrace two unique
assignments all the while: for instance, handle an article with one arm while playing out
another undertaking, for example, cutting, with the other. Each arm can convey items weighing
up to 15kg.
The organization has additionally checked the robot's capacity to gather centre samples
70mm long from concrete walls or floors to look at their contamination level. Robot
administrators can remotely control the robot from an area safe from radiation hazard,
observing and affirming the robot's movements by means of pictures sent from numerous
cameras introduced on the robot.
Other than its disaster support functions such as monitoring, inspection, and gathering of
data and tests, the MEISTeR's flexibility likewise empowers such shifted assignments as
moving of hindrances, decontaminating dividers and floors, cutting guardrails and pipes, and
light fix work.

FIGURE 3: MEISTER robot

Specifications-
Dimension L=1250mm, W=700mm, H=1300mm
Weight 440kg
Moving system Using 4 crawlers
Speed 2kmph
Travelling performance It can climb up to 40-degree angle slopes and steps with up to a
220mm gap.
Communication Wired and wireless.
Power source Wired and buttery (can run 2 hours on a single charge)
Robot arms Double arms with 7-axis control system, each arm can carry
objects weighing up to 15kg.

REFERENCES:
1. Mitsubishi heavy Industries Ltd.-
https://www.mhi.com/news/story/12121603.html
2. Chinoy H. (2017). Clothing robots for rescue operations for radiation protection,
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
3. Industries, M. H. (2015). Application of Sakura II and MHI-HERCULeS Develops
into Social Infrastructure Maintenance, 52(4), 4–6.
4. Fujii, M., Kimura, T., & Sadakane, K. ichiro. (1976). Robotic Approach to
Reduction of Personnel Radiation Exposure in Nuclear Power Plants. Journal of
Nuclear Science and Technology, 13(8), 462–464.
https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.13.462