Robotics

Husqvarna demolition robots to help clean up Fukushima

Husqvarna demolition robots to help clean up Fukushima
Husqvarna Construction has announced that two of its remote-controlled demolition robots are to help with the massive clean-up operation at the site of the fourth reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant
Husqvarna Construction has announced that two of its remote-controlled demolition robots are to help with the massive clean-up operation at the site of the fourth reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant
View 3 Images
Husqvarna Construction has announced that two of its remote-controlled demolition robots are to help with the massive clean-up operation at the site of the fourth reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant
1/3
Husqvarna Construction has announced that two of its remote-controlled demolition robots are to help with the massive clean-up operation at the site of the fourth reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant
The DXR-310 is just 31-inches wide, is capable of climbing stairs, has a telescopic boom reach of 216 inches, and has been provided with a video camera and transmission equipment to extend its range and allow remote operation from a safe distance
2/3
The DXR-310 is just 31-inches wide, is capable of climbing stairs, has a telescopic boom reach of 216 inches, and has been provided with a video camera and transmission equipment to extend its range and allow remote operation from a safe distance
3/3
View gallery - 3 images

Sweden's Husqvarna Construction has announced that two of its remote-controlled demolition robots are to help with the massive clean-up operation at the site of the failed fourth reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The recently-featured DXR-140 and its bigger brother - the DXR-310 - will be used in heavy demolition work such as tearing down concrete constructions and dealing with contaminated materials.

Both robots have been shipped to Takenaka Construction, the company in charge of the cleaning up the plant's fourth reactor after its failure in March of this year. They've been specially optimized for the demanding conditions they'll encounter, with the 31-inch (780 mm) wide, electric-motor-driven DXR-310 being kitted out with an onboard video camera and transmission equipment to extend its range and allow remote operation from a safe distance. It's also capable of climbing stairs, has a telescopic boom reach of 216 inches (5.48 meters), and features bright LED lights to illuminate the work area.

"Our robots are well adapted to this environment," says the company's Anders Ströby. "They are powerful, reliable and easy to maneuver, even in narrow spaces."

The clean-up operation at Fukushima is expected to continue for some time to come.

View gallery - 3 images
5 comments
5 comments
Slowburn
Given the age of the reactors, the what were they thinking building design, and the record power of the earthquake and tsunami I still say Fukushima Daiichi stands as a monument to the safety of nuclear power.
Gregg Eshelman
\"what were they thinking building design\"
That\'s pretty much how all 40-something year old nuclear reactors were built, and they\'re still that way because the \"greens\" won\'t allow them to be updated, which would make them easier and safer to operate.
Those old reactors should have been updated years ago to modern control systems where instead of huge walls full of vintage lights, switches and gauges the control room would have a few control stations with monitors.
Slowburn
re; Gregg Eshelman
I am not apposed to augmenting the analogue instrumentation and controls with computers, but given the bugs, crackers, EMP events (natural and artificial), viruses and other malware I don\'t want the analogue systems abandoned.
Renārs Grebežs
Slowburn, how about a compromise where the analogue switches are still operable in case of emergency, but for the most part they (switches, gauges, etc.) are controlled by a modern system. Think of it as a compatibility mode. :D
christopher
LOL - "some time to come" - most exprets agree it's going to take *more* than 100 **years** of clean up before they can even consider removing the melted fuel rods...