Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | EP/R026084/1 | |
| Title | Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear (RAIN) | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Nuclear Fission and Fusion(Nuclear Fission, Nuclear supporting technologies) 80%; Nuclear Fission and Fusion(Nuclear Fusion) 10%; Not Energy Related 10%; |
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| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 15%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 65%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Professor B Lennox No email address given Electrical & Electronic Engineering University of Manchester |
|
| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | EPSRC | |
| Start Date | 02 October 2017 | |
| End Date | 31 March 2022 | |
| Duration | 54 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £12,807,912 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Electrical engineering | |
| Region | North West | |
| Programme | ISCF Robotics | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Professor B Lennox , Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester |
| Other Investigator | Professor DA Axinte , Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Dr TB Scott , Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol Dr TO Richardson , Biological Science, University of Bristol Dr O D Payton , Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol Professor A Richards , Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol Dr G Herrmann , Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol Professor M Fisher , Computer Scienc, University of Liverpool Dr L Dennis , Computer Scienc, University of Liverpool Dr C Dixon , Computer Scienc, University of Liverpool Professor MJ Joyce , Engineering, Lancaster University Dr SA Watson , Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester Professor S Watts , Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester Professor S B Furber , Computer Science, University of Manchester Professor C Da Vi , Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester Professor M Lujan , Computer Science, University of Manchester Professor G Brown , Computer Science, University of Manchester Dr A Weightman , Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester Dr J Carrasco , Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester Professor SM Veres , Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield Dr R Buckingham , Culham Division, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Dr I Havoutis , Engineering Science, University of Oxford Professor PM Newman , Engineering Science, University of Oxford Professor N Hawes , Engineering Science, University of Oxford Dr M Fallon , Engineering Science, University of Oxford |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Festo Ltd Project Contact , The Manufacturing Technology Centre: MTC Project Contact , Oxford Investment Opportunity Network Project Contact , Imitec Ltd Project Contact , Shadow Robot Company Ltd Project Contact , Longenecker & Associates, USA Project Contact , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Italy Project Contact , SPRINT Robotics Collaborative, The Netherlands Project Contact , VALTEGRA GP S.à r.l., Luxembourg Project Contact , Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) Project Contact , James Fisher Nuclear Limited Project Contact , Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Japan Project Contact , Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Project Contact , Chinese Academy of Sciences Project Contact , Forth Engineering (Cumbria) Limited Project Contact , Nuvia Limited Project Contact , Gassco, Norway Project Contact , Fusion for Energy (F4E), Spain Project Contact , University of Florida, USA Project Contact , Nuclear AMRC Project Contact , Sellafield Ltd Project Contact , OC Robotics Project Contact , Rolls-Royce PLC Project Contact , National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) Project Contact , Innotec Ltd Project Contact , Createc Ltd Project Contact , ABB Limited Project Contact , Uniper Technologies Ltd. Project Contact , Moog Controls Ltd Project Contact , EDF Energy Project Contact , Beijing University, China Project Contact , Tharsus Project Contact , Department for International Trade Project Contact , ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), France Project Contact , BP International Ltd Project Contact , University of Texas at Austin, USA Project Contact , AWE Plc |
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| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | The nuclear industry has some of the most extreme environments in the world, with radiation levels and other hazards frequently restricting human access to facilities. Even when human entry is possible, the risks can be significant and very low levels of productivity. To date, robotic systems have had limited impact on the nuclear industry, but it is clear that they offer considerable opportunities for improved productivity and significantly reduced human risk. The nuclear industry has a vast array of highly complex and diverse challenges that span the entire industry: decommissioning and waste management, Plant Life Extension (PLEX), Nuclear New Build (NNB), small modular reactors (SMRs) and fusion.Whilst the challenges across the nuclear industry are varied, they share many similarities that relate to the extreme conditions that are present. Vitally these similarities also translate across into other environments, such as space, oil and gas and mining, all of which, for example, have challenges associated with radiation (high energy cosmic rays in space and the presence of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in mining and oil and gas). Major hazards associated with the nuclear industry include radiation; storage media (for example water, air, vacuum); lack of utilities (such as lighting, power or communications); restricted access; unstructured environments.These hazards mean that some challenges are currently intractable in the absence of solutions that will rely on future capabilities in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI). Reliable robotic systems are not just essential for future operations in the nuclear industry, but they also offer the potential to transform the industry globally. In decommissioning, robots will be required to characterise facilities (e.g. map dose rates, generate topographical maps and identify materials), inspect vessels and infrastructure, move, manipulate, cut, sort and segregate waste and assist operations staff. To support the life extension of existing nuclear power plants, robotic systems will be required to inspect and assess the integrity and condition of equipment and facilities and might even be used to implement urgent repairs in hard to reach areas of the plant. Similar systems will be required in NNB, fusion reactors and SMRs.Furthermore, it is essential that past mistakes in the design of nuclear facilities, which makes the deployment of robotic systems highly challenging, do not perpetuate into future builds. Even newly constructed facilities such as CERN, which now has many areas that are inaccessible to humans because of high radioactive dose rates, has been designed for human, rather than robotic intervention. Another major challenge that RAIN will grapple with is the use of digital technologies within the nuclear sector. Virtual and Augmented Reality, AI and machine learning have arrived but the nuclear sector is poorly positioned to understand and use these rapidly emerging technologies. RAIN will deliver the necessary step changes in fundamental robotics science and establish the pathways to impact that will enable the creation of a research and innovation ecosystem with the capability to lead the world in nuclear robotics. While our centre of gravity is around nuclear we have a keen focus on applications and exploitation in a much wider range of challenging environments | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 07/02/19 | |
