Robots exploring areas not safe for humans is nothing new. The Ori (Oxford Robotics Institute) recently trialed a remote operation of a Clearpath Husky ground robot in the JET Torus Hall. The robot can enter the nuclear environment, scan for radiation and return to base when done.
This base was modified with batteries for extended mission and an omnidirectional sodium-iodide radiation detector. The base was covered in plastic wrapping to protect it from tritium gas and beryllium dust. It also has a pan-tilt unit that carries a “cerium-bromide detector with 3.8kg collimator to directionally detect radiation.”
[HT]