The Robotized Cherenkov Viewing Device (RCVD) has been developed through a collaboration between Australian national science agency Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization’s (CSIRO's) data and digital specialist arm Data61, Hungarian robotics company Datastart and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This floating autonomous robot could soon play a key role in safeguarding spent nuclear fuel around the world.
The RCVD runs autonomy-enabling software designed by CSIRO Data61. It can autonomously navigate a route across a spend nuclear fuel storage pool while updating a real-time map with footage and data of the fuel assemblies. The robot analyzes each fuel assembly’s unique signature to detect if spent fuel has been removed or replaced. The information generated is sent back to human staff members. The RCVD’s autonomy, navigation and mapping capabilities are supported by CSIRO’s Wildcat Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology.
A prototype RCVD has just completed a successful test in an operating nuclear power plant in South America. The prototype system navigated a spent nuclear fuel pool and provided inspectors with real time data that can be used for safeguards verification.
Rosie Attwell is the Technical Program Manager at CSIRO. She said, “The test demonstrates that autonomous robots could soon assist with field measurement and analysis of spent nuclear fuel, providing greater protection for human workers. Inspectors currently operate above the pond on a suspended platform, sometimes in 40-degree Celsius heat, using a handheld device to identify hundreds of used nuclear fuel rods. This new technology will remove humans from harm's way and ensure the rate of safety inspections matches that of nuclear material.”
Dimitri Finker is a Technology Foresight Specialist at the IAEA. He claimed that using an autonomous system will reduce the burden of carrying out in-field verifications for the facility operator and for the IAEA. He added, “It also significantly improves the quality of the data collected. The instrument can be optimally positioned close to the fuel, leading to more consistent and accurate measurements.”
Peter Kopia is the CEO of Datastart. He noted that the seamless integration of the hardware developed by Datastart and CSIRO’s own navigation stack is a perfect example of intercontinental engineering collaboration. He said, “Moving personnel out of harm's way is the most important benefit, but the exceptional data quality and the ability to inspect previously unreachable covered areas is a game changer in nuclear inspection.”
The RCVD prototype will continue to be tested. There are plans for the device to be outfitted with computer vision to enhance autonomy in the phase of development.
In March 2019, it was announced that an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed by Datastart was the winner of IAEA Robotics Challenge. The Challenge was launched in 2017. The IAEA competition sought to find innovative ways to enhance in-field inspection activities.
Currently, safeguards inspectors have to utilize a small hand-held instrument called the Improved Cerenkov Viewing Device (ICVD) from a gantry suspended above a spent nuclear fuel pool. The inspectors manually peer through a lens at the individual fuel assemblies. There can be hundreds of assemblies to be inspected at one time. For the IAEA Challenge, they sought designs that could mount the newly developed neXt Generation Cerenkov Viewing Device (XCVD) which is capable of providing digital recording. The XCVD is inside a small roboticized floating platform that would autonomously propel itself across the surface of a spent nuclear fuel pool.