Commercial industries always seek better, less costly means of performing tasks. From improving procedural compliance to applying new technologies, companies will risk spending large amounts of capital with the expectation that their return on investment pays big dividends. These big dividends typically come in the form of work schedule reduction, efficiency enhancement, or cost savings.
My role as an engineer brings all sorts of challenges to the workplace. Sometimes, I feel like Scotty on Star Trek when asked to create solutions for impossible scenarios. On one occasion, a senior manager wanted my group to develop a way to enter areas with dangerous radiation levels with no risk to the individual entering the room. They weren't kidding with that ask, either.
RP ALARA stands for Radiation Protection As Low As Reasonably Achievable. ALARA is an acronym utilized throughout the nuclear industry that represents all best attempts to reduce personnel hazardous exposures reasonably.
The RP ALARA Association annually holds conferences across the United States. In January 2023, the association held its conference in Key West, Florida. Representatives, like myself, of the Radiation Protection arm of the nuclear industry meet during these conferences to present solutions to any industry problems.
During this conference, several dozen vendors of the Nuclear Supplier Association join the meeting to present their products to the representatives. Products could range from legal services to the most advanced technologies available. In some of the presentations I attended, I noticed three pieces of technology that would benefit where I work.
Spot is a versatile quadruped robot easily controllable from a remote tablet or a modified X-box controller. Boston Dynamics built semi-autonomous to autonomous capabilities into the robot and programmed it with collision avoidance. Regarding collision avoidance, if I direct the robot forward and you're in its path, it will automatically stop or attempt to walk around you.
The base pricing for Spot is approximately USD 70,000. Adding attachments like inspection or thermal cameras, a grappling arm, and range extensions would run the pricing well into the $200,000 to $300,000 price range.
I'm pursuing the purchase of this robot for its autonomous capabilities, ease of use, inspection cameras, and robotic arm. This robot could replace two in-the-field technicians performing inspections in one work site.
I can train the robot to walk to the inspection areas, take the needed images, and transmit them to a remote station for evaluation. The robot's performance of this daily inspection would pay for itself in approximately two years of continuous operation.
Teledyne-FLIR's Packbot 510a is a much more rugged vehicle than Boston Dynamic's Spot. The base sticker price for this robot is around $100,000. Upgrades could add double the original price, but it's worth it. The Packbot can drive on rugged terrain, up or down stairs, and possesses a fantastic grapple arm you can adjust into almost any position.
Unlike Spot, however, driving this thing around my office area is quite disruptive. It sounds like a tank. You can hear and feel the treads rolling across the ground as you take it for a test spin. The Packbot can raise its cameras to about 8-FT.
The camera is sharp enough to read the small print from 100-200 ft away. To provide greater visibility, you can use a thermal camera or infrared light in low-lighting conditions. The operational testing of this vehicle has been excellent.
The quadcopter drone offered by Flyability meets many of the requirements I set for a purchase review. The drone is small enough to send it into hazardous zones where I must implement strict safety controls for personnel entry. Instead of sending a human, I can send a robot.
The drone utilizes LIDAR to provide a 3D image of its surrounding environment. Additionally, it uses a thermal camera to provide additional imaging. Finally, the drone Flyability equipped the drone with adapters that would allow me to pair it with gamma or neutron measuring equipment. Not only can I map out an area in no light, but I'll also be able to map out the radiation levels within that room.
The drone is housed within a roll cage that significantly minimizes shock to the vehicle in the event of falls or collisions with objects in its path. If I used this drone in one hazardous area entry, it would likely pay for itself.
These technologies aim to minimize long-term workloads, improve workplace efficiency, and reduce safety risks to zero. I'll never be able to reduce safety risks to zero, but I can get very close to it. These technologies have the potential to change how companies do their business.
The only problem is the upfront cost associated with procurement and integration with business policy. Fortunately, I have experience in this area that can make utilizing this tech a reality. The downside is the difficulty involved with actually starting these projects.
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