A new system will combine 3D radiation scanning, a robotic snake arm laser cutter, and virtual reality to let operators see inside nuclear waste storage cells before they enter. The problem is that Sellafield’s legacy waste cells are hazardous, cluttered, and difficult to assess remotely. Operators currently cannot tell exactly what is inside—whether an object is intermediate-level waste (ILW) or low-level waste (LLW)—until they begin removal. This wastes time, risks radiation exposure, and mismanages waste routing capacity. If the system works, operators will first scan the cell with Radscan to map radiation sources in 3D. They will then use that data to program the snake arm’s cutting motions via VR, so the robot works autonomously while the operator monitors from a safe distance. The system will also allow operators to synchronise waste removal with the site’s available ILW and LLW disposal routes, avoiding bottlenecks. The project will additionally test remotely positioned explosive cutters for hard-to-reach materials. The innovation is not a single new technology but the integration of three existing ones—scanning, cutting, and VR—into one platform with a single user interface. If successful, the system could make decommissioning safer, faster, and cheaper across the UK’s nuclear sites.
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Our project will combine three existing technologies to create a system which will be make it safer and more efficient for operators to see exactly what is inside cells before they begin the task of removing and packaging the items. We will integrate Cavendish Nuclear's 3D gamma dose rate scanning equipment - Radscan with robotic deployment snake arm laser cutting technology This will enable operators to efficiently identify what is Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and what is Low Level Waste (LLW) and allow them to target which type of waste they should remove first from each cell. It will enable operators to plan and synchronise the type of waste being removed at any point in time to match the capacity of the ILW and LLW waste routes that are currently available on Sellafield site. In addition to Radscan and snake arm laser cutting technology, our project will also integrate Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Based on the scanned 3D data, VR will be used to programme the motions for the robotic deployment system, so that operator can monitor operations rather than manually controlling the operations of the equipment. Our project will also explore the feasibility of deploying remotely positionable explosive cutting devices. The innovation in our approach is the combination of these existing technologies into one platform that integrates the benefits of all of the technologies into a single user interface. Cavendish Nuclear has an established track record of combining different systems and technologies into integrated systems to provide solutions to decommissioning challenges across nuclear sites.
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