Rosatom’s spider robot crawls where humans can’t, scanning reactor welds for flaws and setting a new benchmark for nuclear safety.
Russia ’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has unveiled a new “ spider robot ” capable of inspecting welds in nuclear reactor components three times faster than traditional methods. Developed by Atommash, the company’s mechanical engineering division, the system is designed to perform ultrasonic inspections of welds up to 30 centimeters thick in nuclear power plant reactors and steam generators, an essential process to ensure critical equipment’s structural integrity and safety.
Ultrasonic testing, a widely used non-destructive technique, helps detect invisible internal defects during visual inspections. Traditionally, this process involves technicians manually moving scanners across the surface of the welds, a time-consuming and physically demanding task. The new robot automates this movement, allowing inspections to be completed far more quickly and with improved accuracy.Oleg Shubin, Quality Director at Atommash said, “By implementing robotics, we not only improve production efficiency but also create the work environment of the future,” he said. “A modern plant is a place for innovation and implementing bold projects. The spider robot is a clear example of how technology serves the safety of the nuclear energy industry.”A step toward “digital” nuclear manufacturingAtommash says the spider robot is part of a broader effort to create a fully digitalized production environment. According to World Nuclear News, the company is implementing around 30 robotic automation projects that it estimates could save hundreds of thousands of person-hours each year in transportation, welding, cleaning, and inspection processes. These developments are aimed at turning the facility into a model “digital plant,” where advanced robotics and data systems work together to optimize performance and safety.Equipped with a next-generation ultrasonic transducer and an advanced control unit, the spider robot can precisely navigate complex and angled surfaces. It can also operate in areas difficult for human inspectors to access, such as narrow reactor vessel interiors and irregular geometries. This capability makes it particularly valuable for inspecting large, intricate nuclear components where accuracy is critical and radiation exposure must be minimized.Robots in nuclear inspection and safetyThe launch of the spider robot comes as nuclear facilities worldwide increasingly turn to robotics for construction, inspection, maintenance, and decommissioning tasks. Robots have become indispensable in environments where high radiation or structural complexity makes human intervention dangerous or impractical.In Japan, for instance, various robotic systems were deployed at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following the 2011 disaster. Machines such as the iRobot PackBot and the stair-climbing “Quince” robot from the Chiba Institute of Technology carried cameras and sensors into damaged reactor buildings to assess conditions and measure radiation levels. Later, highly specialized underwater robots like Toshiba’s “Little Sunfish” were developed to explore submerged areas of the reactors and locate melted fuel debris.Robotics also plays a key role in ongoing maintenance at operating plants. For example, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ “A-UT” robot performs ultrasonic inspections inside reactor vessels filled with water, attaching itself to interior walls using vacuum pads while operating in high-temperature and high-radiation conditions. The Sellafield nuclear complex in the UK has deployed mobile inspection platforms and remotely operated systems, including Boston Dynamics’ agile quadruped robot “Spot” to carry out radiation mapping, decontamination, and visual inspections in restricted areas.The Russian spider robot represents the latest advancement in this global trend, offering speed, precision, and adaptability that align with the nuclear industry’s increasing reliance on automation.
Energy Energy Automation Nuclear Nuclear Energy Nuclear Power Plant Robotics Russia Spider Robot
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