Robotic Radionuclide Inspection and Mapping of Surface Contamination On Building Surfaces
- Nevada Univ., Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
The mapping of localized regions of radionuclide contamination in a building can be a time consuming and costly task. Humans moving hand-held radiation detectors over the target areas are subject to fatigue. A contamination map based on manual surveys can contain significant operator-induced inaccuracies. A Fanuc M16i light industrial robot has been configured for installation on a mobile aerial work platform, such as a tall forklift. When positioned in front of a surface, the robot can map the radiation levels over a surface area of up to 2 m by 2 m. The robot's end effector is a commercial alpha-beta radiation sensor, augmented with range and collision avoidance sensors to ensure operational safety as well as to maintain a constant gap between surface and radiation sensors. A graphical user interface guides the robot operator to position the robot at the desired wall segments, and to select an area for surveying. After the operator has entered the required parameters, the custom surveying software plans the scan sequence, alerts of any potential problems, such as unreachable singularities, and creates a contamination map of the surveyed region. Maps of multiple regions can be combined into a single map of the entire region. The survey data are stored in a data base file. In addition to automated surface scans, operators can manually select regions for further inspection, as well as control the end effector motion manually. In comparison to manual contamination surveys, the robotic approach is more accurate, reliable, and faster. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, 1628 E. Southern Avenue, Suite 9 - 332, Tempe, AZ 85282 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21294701
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-09-WM-07335; TRN: US10V0228040891
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM'07: 2007 Waste Management Symposium - Global Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management: Education and Opportunity for the Next Generation of Waste Management Professionals, Tucson, AZ (United States), 25 Feb - 1 Mar 2007; Other Information: Country of input: France; 4 refs
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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