Integrated soft snake robot for gamma spectroscopy of radiologically contaminated ducting

The anticipated growth in the number and complexity of nuclear facilities entering the decommissioning phase necessitates innovative methods to mitigate radiological and safety hazards for workers. Advancements in robotics offer opportunities for remote characterization of radiologically contaminated ducts and pipes, thereby reducing worker exposure. Despite these advancements, the nuclear decommissioning industry has been hesitant to adopt new technologies due to concerns about capital costs and a lack of demonstration data in representative environments. This work leverages novel soft robotics to develop and demonstrate a sensor-integrated characterization tool for contaminated ducting systems. Two gamma spectrometers—one scintillation-based and one solid-state—were selected and integrated into a pneumatically-actuated, snake-like soft robot using stretchable electronic cabling. The robot was demonstrated at the Idaho National Laboratory’s Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex, maneuvering through a pseudo-constrained corridor containing several sealed sources. The integrated spectrometers collected spectra at various points along the path of travel, which were subsequently evaluated to identify isotope-specific peaks. To evaluate the effect of contamination buildup on the collected spectra, the robot with the integrated scintillation detector was tested using a liquid radioactive source. The resulting spectra showed little detection interference from the liquid contamination; however, a short-lived isotope was used which may not be representative of longer-lived contamination. • Soft robotics offer opportunities for risk reduction in nuclear decommissioning. • Case-specific sensor integration offers cost benefits based on user needs. • The robot successfully collected gamma spectra and maneuvered along a path. • Contamination collection offers additional characterization opportunities.