Robot dog to assist in Sellafield clean-up

A robotic dog is to help clear radioactive waste from a nuclear site.

Sellafield Ltd said operators had used the robot "safely and securely" in a trial and it had "huge potential" for tasks including remote inspections, data gathering and clean-up work.

The Sellafield site in Cumbria is the UK's most complex and challenging nuclear site with highly hazardous materials stored there from across the UK.

The plant's equipment programme lead, Deon Bulman, said the trial "marked a significant milestone in our journey towards integrating advanced robotics into our operations".

The company said it worked with engineering group AtkinsRéalis to deploy the Boston Dynamics Spot Quadrupedal Robotic "dog" for a range of jobs.

Last month managers warned that planned work to decommission the UK's largest nuclear site may have to be slowed down or paused due to insufficient funding.

Workers at the Westlakes Science Park in Whitehaven were involved in the trial which involved not having an operator and monitoring the site via a virtual access network and live-streamed footage.

Mr Bulman said: "The ability to remotely operate robotic systems like Spot demonstrates how digital innovation can enhance safety, efficiency, and decision-making on nuclear-licensed sites."

The trial was the first time virtual site access had been tried on a nuclear licensed site, the company said.

Richard Brook, technology solutions lead for decommissioning at AtkinsRéalis, said it was "another step forward for the role of robotics in decommissioning".

"Virtual site access is already being used in the delivery of major infrastructure programmes - this trial is a big step towards unlocking its benefits for nuclear licensed sites without compromising safety or security," Mr Brook said.

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