The TALON Robot being tried to make the helping hand in saving the Fukushima nuclear plant

Danger is still hovering around the Fukushima nuclear plant. High levels of radiation are still being detected around it. Reasons may include the use of remotely controlled machinery instead of workers. A remotely controlled excavator and transporter is used to clear waste materials out of the plant while an unmanned helicopter dallies around the buildings to get information about the happenings inside. For this reason, the US department of Energy has been working hard enough to bring the Fukushima nuclear reactors under control.

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The most unique innovation that the department has just brought in is its TALON robot, which shows its dexterity in robotics. The TALON robot, a part of the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, which landed in Japan last weekend, was originally developed by QinetiQ to help in the inspection and discarding of hazardous chemicals and explosives. Designed in a way to endure various conditions and go through a wide range of terrains, the TALON has been used largely for defense purposes.

The US Department of Energy has customized its TALON with a suite of integrated sensors, digital cameras and a GPS device, with an aim to enhance its visual capability, radiological survey as well as mapping data about areas that are not accessible to humans because of high radiation levels. This diversified TALON is an important example of how creativity and technical expertise can combine to solve important problems.

In addition to this, the Department of Energy’s office of Nuclear Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory are also providing radiation-sensing packages for robots already in the possession of the Japanese government and a technical team comprising of four members to provide training and assistance in the deployment of robotics to get a fair image of the radiation fields near the reactors as well as advice regarding shielding and automated heavy equipment surrounding the plant.

Via: US Department of Energy/Engadget