Spot® the Dog
in Dounreay

React has successfully deployed the NV-Explore radiological survey equipment mounted to a Boston Dynamics ‘Spot® the Dog’ platform in a historic high-active cell in Dounreay. The combination of cutting-edge surveying and robotics technology has allowed decommissioning teams to see inside of a high-active cell that has been inaccessible since the 1990s.

Key Benefits

  • Proof of concept of deployment of robots in high-active environments.
  • Accurate physical and radiological modelling of facilities, unseen in over 30 years.
  • Better informed decommissioning programmes improve strategic decision making

Client and Location

Nuclear Restoration Services
Dounreay, Caithness, UK

Completion

2023

Our Partners

React- Nuclear Decommissioning Limited

Createc

Boston Dynamics

Key Skills & Competencies

Characterisation Planning

Methodology

Development

Project Implementation

Engineering

Key Technologies

NVisage®

Spot®


Project Overview

The decommissioning team at Dounreay required additional data about the cell to clarify
assumptions made during the development of the decommissioning plan and to obtain
additional characterisation data to use in the wider facility.


React provided leadership from a technical and project management perspective, defining, and
implementing a sampling plan which satisfied the information gathering requirements, created a
Safe System of Work and supported the deployment team on site.


The equipment was deployed safely and successfully. The client has received a comprehensive
package of survey information including a 3D cell model, precise radiological data, and a suite of
high-resolution photographs of the cell.

Quote

“The use of this robotic and sensing system has meant that humans were kept away from the radiation hazard. It has allowed the team to capture digital data which can be analysed to extract insights that would not be possible from other traditional technologies.

All three companies pushed the boundaries to deliver this complex project, whose outcome will inform the future plant decommissioning.” Will Newsom, Createc.

Want to know more?

Get in touch to find out more about React Engineering

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