New Dual-Arm Telerobotics System Revolutionizes Hazardous Waste Clean-up. Credit: techxplore.com
Robots are becoming increasingly essential for handling hazardous nuclear waste due to their ability to access areas that humans cannot. However, in order to effectively replace humans, these robots must have human-like capabilities and movements. To address this need, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed and tested a remote-controlled, dual-arm telerobotics system with advanced capabilities that could revolutionize hazardous waste clean-up and have potential for broader applications.
The telerobotics system, developed as part of a three-year project involving multiple laboratories and institutions, was recently successfully tested at DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Along with Argonne and ORNL, collaborators on the project include the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, the University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and United Cleanup Oak Ridge, LLC. The ultimate goal is to use collaborative robots, or "cobots," and emerging digital technologies to assist in the clean-up of nuclear waste at dormant nuclear facilities overseen by DOE's Office of Emergency Management, while also exploring potential uses in other industries.
Traditionally, the nuclear industry has used hot cells and glovebox systems for handling radioactive materials. However, these systems are now obsolete and cannot be moved to task sites. Argonne's mobile robotic hot cell system has the potential to modernize this method by allowing for on-site deployment. In a recent demonstration, the telerobotics system successfully opened, inspected, and sorted mock nuclear waste canisters in a hot cell at ORNL. The system's advanced capabilities, such as dexterous multi-fingered arms and touch-sensitive gloves, allow for precise and efficient handling of hazardous materials.
The telerobotics technology created by Argonne's Robotics and Remote Systems Program was developed in just six months and runs on the lab's mixed-reality digital twin software platform. This technology creates a digital replica of a physical object and allows for optimization in all phases of the remote operation system. Operators use virtual reality headsets and touch-sensitive gloves to control the robots both physically and virtually, providing a sense of telepresence within the hot cell. The technology also has potential for use in a variety of industries and applications, such as construction, maintenance, medical and health care systems, and laboratory experiments.
The success of this project relies on the expertise and collaboration of multiple partners, with each managing a specific aspect of the project. The team is now preparing for a real-world demonstration of the technology, with the hope of eventually using it to aid in the clean-up of 107 nuclear sites overseen by DOE's Environmental Management Office. This groundbreaking technology has the potential to greatly improve worker safety and efficiency while reducing costs.
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