Robot staff for nuclear power plants.Robot staff for nuclear power plants Someday a nuclear power plant may have a staff of robots, each designed for a specific function but flexible enough to take over other tasks when needed. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI EPRI Electric Power Research Institute EPRI European Parliaments Research Initiatives ), a utilities-sponsored research organization based in Palo Alto Palo Alto, city, California Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , Calif., has introduced the first potential member of that staff. "Surveyor,' a brightly colored, remotely controlled robot about the size of a giant tortoise tortoise (tôr`təs), common name for a terrestrial turtle, especially one of the family Testudinidae. Tortoises inhabit warm regions of all continents except Australia. , is designed to inspect equipment, read meters and survey for radiation. With an extendable arm attachment, the 350-pound, tanklike robot can also reach into areas too confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. for human work. Developed for EPRI by Advanced Research Development Corp. in Columbia, Md., the robot has been tested in several nuclear power plants. So far, however, the machine has not ventured into radiation areas because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an independent U.S. government commission, created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and charged with licensing and regulating civilian use of nuclear energy to protect the public and the environment. has yet to determine the conditions under which robots can be used in such areas. Researchers are also working on a second robot staff member. For EPRI, Odetics, Inc., of Anaheim, Calif., is developing a walking robot that would be able to thread mazes, step over obstacles and squeeze through narrow gaps (SN: 7/6/85, p. 9). With its great strength-to-weight ratio, this robot would serve as a heavy-duty maintenance worker. |
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