Discover
/
Article

Robot designed to help clean up Fukushima reactor

JAN 19, 2016
Physics Today

IEEE Spectrum : Although it’s been almost half a decade since the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, radiation levels are still too high in certain areas of the nuclear power plant for human workers to decontaminate the facility and clean up the radioactive waste. In order to remove 566 fuel-rod assemblies from the spent fuel pool in the reactor 3 building, Toshiba Corp has designed a remote-controlled, crane-like machine that can be lowered into the water. The robot has several arms to pick up and cut debris and cameras to allow workers to watch and control it. The company expects the machine to begin operations by 2017.

Related content
/
Article
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will survey the sky for vestiges of the universe’s expansion.
/
Article
An ultracold atomic gas can sync into a single quantum state. Researchers uncovered a speed limit for the process that has implications for quantum computing and the evolution of the early universe.
/
Article
Images captured by ground telescopes are getting contaminated by sunlight reflected off satellites. Space telescope data can get compromised too.

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.