MIT Researchers are Developing Tiny Spherical Robots that Monitor Radioactive Leaks

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on devising methods to provide remote images of the piping with the help of tiny spherical robots which could move through the piping, capture and send images to the control room.

These images could be useful for operators to point out to leaks and address issues raised by the Government Accountability Office. The concern raised by the GAO was that all nuclear sites in the U.S have known to have radioactive water leakage into the ground; the inspection of some of the pipelines is difficult as they are buried deep inside.

Harry Asada explained that to tackle this issue his team is working on developing spherical robots, of the size of a billiard ball that travel wirelessly through the pipes to collect and transmit data in the form of images. He is a professor of mechanical engineering and the director of the d'Arbeloff Laboratory for Information Systems and Technology at MIT. He stressed on the need for devising inspection solutions quickly as out of the 104 reactors in the U.S, fifty-two are more than 30 years old. He is assisted by two graduate students in the project and currently they are testing the working model to avoid getting trapped in tight spots and minimise abrasion with other sensors inside the pipes. AnirbanMazumdar, a doctoral student who works with Asada, explained that the robot is designed with interior chambers which fill up with water and then spit it out for self-propelling itself or to push another robot through the pipe. He pointed out that through wireless control, the scenario of the robot getting stuck in tight spots can be avoided and it can also avoid getting entangled with other sensors. Ian Rust, another research team member, is working on an ‘eyeball’ system in the robot that is capable of changing direction of the internal camera without moving its shell.

The team aims at arriving at a low-cost final model that is capable of handling the harsh environment for a limited period and can be easily disposed as contaminated waste once the period is over. The team has drawn inspiration for the design from underwater robots.