AREVA has delivered the first of a new generation of radiation mapping robots to the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
Dubbed RIANA, the Robot for Investigations and Assessments of Nuclear Areas, comprises a motorised platform with interchangeable measurement or sampling modules. It is equipped with 3D and thermal cameras as well as on-board laser detectors for navigation and positioning.
RIANA is capable of operating in radioactive areas to map, take samples or to measure radioactivity, AREVA says.
Critically, the robot can work on site autonomously or without an operator thanks to an optional guidance program which allows the robot to find its own way. In the event of a signal loss, RIANA is automatically guided back towards its last known location, either by an operator or autonomously.
AREVA said that these features make RIANA an "ideal tool" for supporting nuclear dismantling, particularly in areas where operator presence is restricted.
"RIANA provides a new range of services for interventions in sensitive nuclear areas, within confined spaces or those affected by accidents, both in day-to-day and emergency situations," noted Thierry Varet, technical director of AREVA's Dismantling & Services.
CEA has already placed an order for a second RIANA model equipped with additional functionalities, AREVA said.
Photo: RIANA robot (Copyright: AREVA/Jean-Marie Talliet)
