Teleoperated Robotic Cleaning Systems for Use in a Hazardous Radioactive Environment

We describe the development of teleoperated robotic cleaning systems for use in a highly radioactive zone of a hot-cell. As the hot-cell is active, direct access to the in-cell by human workers is not possible because of the nature of the high radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel. The teleoperated robotic cleaning systems were designed and developed to clean up or decontaminate a contaminated floor of the in-cell in a remote manner, thereby completely eliminating human interaction with hazardous radioactive contaminants. These robotic cleaning systems are classified into two systems depending on the task environment they are applied to - ROCCS (RObotic Contamination Collection System)-I and-II. We present the environmental, functional, mechanical design considerations, controls and capabilities of the developed teleoperated robotic cleaning systems.