Nuclear Decommissioning

In response to this challenge, DCE was invited to join a consortium headed by Wood Nuclear (now part of Jacobs). The project aimed to develop a modular system to make decommissioning cheaper, faster and safer. DCE’s key deliverable in the project was to enable the deployment of a range of waste handling and processing tools within the very challenging environment and terrain, all controlled using a single modular control system. The additional challenge was to make this system wireless, since this has significant advantages over the traditional tethered approach.

Central to DCE’s approach was its own proprietary Marionette^TM universal robotic architecture, a safety-critical control layer which enables the addition of remote or autonomous operation to unmanned vehicles as well as converting existing manned vehicles.

Marionette^TM was successfully demonstrated controlling a DCE X2 unmanned ground vehicle and a range of payloads, including a self-loading/unloading system incorporating sensor payloads, manipulators and waste handling apparatus. Communications were achieved using an encrypted radio link.

Utilising DCE’s experience in remote hydraulics control, DCE plans to demonstrate the utility of Marionette^TM as a control system for Larger machinery, such as diggers and lifting equipment within the Nuclear domain.

This will allow inexpensive systems such as mini diggers to be repurposed for decommissioning, rather than having to procure costly ‘robotic by design’ systems.

This approach has direct applicability in other domains, including Construction, Rail & Transport, Mining, Energy and others.