Toshiba Robot to Enter Fukushima Nuclear Reactor

[jos]

Toshiba and the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning unveiled a new scorpion-shaped robot that will be sent inside a containment vessel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in August. According to Toshiba, the robot can sustain up to 10 hours of work in an area with radiation levels of 100 sieverts per hour. “It can curve its back part upwards like a scorpion and shed light on its surroundings,” the company said.

The robot will be dispatched to confirm the level of damage inside the nuclear containment vessel at Fukushima Daiichi’s No. 2 reactor and locate fallen objects. The work is required to be finished before a complete study of the nuclear containment vessel, which will begin sometime after April 2016

 

 

The 10 hr battery level is quite impressive.

Source:http://www.computerworld.com/article/2942037/emerging-technology/toshiba-readies-scorpionlike-robot-for-fukushima-nuclear-plant.html

[Aniallation]

The 10 hr battery level is quite impressive.

I've had one Toshiba laptop before, the battery was tiny, yet the battery life was absolutely fantastic. So +1

[Misanthrope]

Ok....preeeetty sure this is how we'll get Mechagodzilla though

[Atmos]

Doubtful that it's running off batteries, that cable out the back probably carries power.

 

They most likely mean it has a 10hr lifespan in the 100 sievert radiation area because after that time onboard mechanisms might begin to fail for one reason or another. Radiation can affect a lot more than just biological functions.

[Delusional Phil]

Doubtful that it's running off batteries, that cable out the back probably carries power.

 

They most likely mean it has a 10hr lifespan in the 100 sievert radiation area because after that time onboard mechanisms might begin to fail for one reason or another. Radiation can affect a lot more than just biological functions.

Yet certain types of mushroom loves radioactive environment ...

[Atmos]

Yet certain types of mushroom loves radioactive environment ...

 

Doubtful though that particular radiation around the reactor core would be very, encouraging for mushrooms. I've no doubt that there are organics, here on earth, or elsewhere in the universe that live off of some form of radiation or thrive in it, hell plants technically do already to a degree, but there are still forms of radiation that are inhospitable to life here on earth.

 

Never made the assertion that all life forms die in radiation, but the vast majority do, especially in those high levels of beta and alpha radiation particles. :3

[MasterJV]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

[jos]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

It is not possible for humans to go there for few centuries

[Maslofski]

Toshilla!

[Delusional Phil]

Doubtful though that particular radiation around the reactor core would be very, encouraging for mushrooms. I've no doubt that there are organics, here on earth, or elsewhere in the universe that live off of some form of radiation or thrive in it, hell plants technically do already to a degree, but there are still forms of radiation that are inhospitable to life here on earth.

 

Never made the assertion that all life forms die in radiation, but the vast majority do, especially in those high levels of beta and alpha radiation particles. :3

It's weird right ? The mushrooms I mentioned has a lot of Melatonin in their cells , and they can grow huge in those places due to lack of competition for food ... 

[mr moose]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

 

Yep, even with all today' fancy tech, it still takes way too long, cost too much and is too dangerous to have anyone in there long enough to see it done right.

 

Chernobyl is still a clean up process

[ShadowCaptain]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

 

Chernobyl happened 1986, and they are still working on a brand new containment building to slide over the top, its still deadly inside and will be for a long time

 

The "elephants foot" inside (a mass of molten radioactive material and rock) is like 10000 roentgens and can deliver a lethal dose in minutes!! I think its less radioactive now but still extremely bad

[Diederik_Gr]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

We're talking about radioactive materials here, it will still be radioactive after thousands of years. Chernobyl is the best example of this, they are still working on it after the explosion in 1986.

 

I remember something about how nuclear powerplants are so safe that only 1 would ever fail in a thousand years in the absolute worst case scenario, we've had 2 that are barely 30 years apart now. I'm glad the rest of the world is seeing this as well and are trying to step away from nuclear energy as a whole.

[linuxfan66]

We're talking about radioactive materials here, it will still be radioactive after thousands of years. Chernobyl is the best example of this, they are still working on it after the explosion in 1986.

I remember something about how nuclear powerplants are so safe that only 1 would ever fail in a thousand years in the absolute worst case scenario, we've had 2 that are barely 30 years apart now. I'm glad the rest of the world is seeing this as well and are trying to step away from nuclear energy as a whole.

I disagree about the stepping away bit. I feel it's the only practical way to reduce emissions from energy generation. The alternatives either lack efficiency(solar) or cause excessive complaints(wind). The only exemption is geothermal i find.

[UnknownEngineer]

Doubtful that it's running off batteries, that cable out the back probably carries power.

 

They most likely mean it has a 10hr lifespan in the 100 sievert radiation area because after that time onboard mechanisms might begin to fail for one reason or another. Radiation can affect a lot more than just biological functions.

AFAIK the already have remote controlled units for this kind of work, the radiation kills the pixels in the cameras, and a battery would be dangerous to put into an environment like that IMO.

[Master Disaster]

It's a great device however it has one small flaw.

The decontamination process it will require after every shift will take longer than the battery on the device lasts. 24hr decontamination for a 10hr shift.

[Trik'Stari]

Ok....preeeetty sure this is how we'll get Mechagodzilla though

I think you mean

 

And this is pretty cool. Wish they would do a live feed of the work its doing inside the reactor. Something oddly fascinating about damaged nuclear reactors (chernobyl is scary, but also awesome as hell)

[Castdeath97]

Hahaha yeah 10 hours, just like my old laptop hahaha good joke Toshiba. I still hate you.

[MEC-777]

It's a great device however it has one small flaw.

The decontamination process it will require after every shift will take longer than the battery on the device lasts. 24hr decontamination for a 10hr shift.

 

It doesn't have a 10 hour battery. It's powered by a cable. It can sustain 10 hours in the radioactive conditions it will be entering into inside the plant. 

[Spannerhands]

Wait, didn't this reactor blow up like a couple years ago? Does it really take that long to clean it up?

Sadly the current projection is 30 - 40 years to clean up the reactors to start decommissioning, (will require new technology to be invented) but for full decommission (full clean up, no rectors / building or stored waste on the site save ground radiation) you looking at 200 + years... 

 

Compare that to Chernobyl, the site will not be able to be fully decommissioned for another  20,000 years...