In a continued effort to reduce radiation exposure to workers and further the use of advanced technologies, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ (CNL) Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation’s Innovations team deployed the robot dog – nicknamed Alpha – into the legacy fuel storage rod bays in a facility at Chalk River Laboratories in August 2024. Alpha uses laser scanning capabilities to create a 3D model, known as a colourized point cloud, to support decommissioning projects and act as an archival record of the space after its decommissioned.
The testing of Alpha the robot dog prior to its deployment
Equipped with a contamination suit, laser scanner, D-Ring harness, and teledosimeter, Alpha was fully geared for a successful operation. The contamination suit was fashioned by Warrior Gear, a local, Pembroke, Ontario based sewing shop, founded and operated by veterans specializing in durable military gear. The custom-tailored suit features a clear plastic window on its front for unobstructed camera use and a reinforced equipment mounting pad.
Alpha in its contamination suit
A specialized decommissioning team worked in tandem with the radiation protection team to develop a basic characterization of the dose rates present in the bays. A teledosimeter was placed on the underside of the robot dog for real-time dose monitoring during the job.
Alpha being chased by a real dog after trying its contamination suit on for the first time
Alpha was lowered into the rod bays by a rope looped through its D-Ring harness, which was released when the robot dog touched the ground to allow full range of motion. To pull Alpha out of the bays once the work was complete, a mooring hook was used to re-thread the rope through the robot dog’s harness. The mooring hook reduced contamination risk and allowed for an easier retrieval.
Alpha the robot dog being retrieved from the X bays using the mooring hook
Operating the robot dog while down in the bays required two handlers stationed in a lower dose area. While one operator oversaw piloting Alpha through the bays, the second operator controlled the laser scanner and monitored Alpha’s battery level and temperature.
Alpha can transmit real-time statistics of its condition to a programmed phone or tablet. Similar to hazmat suits meant for people, Alpha’s contamination suit caused restricted airflow and cooling. As such, the team closely monitored its to prevent overheating.
Slice of the 3D model generated by Alpha of the X bays
As the rod bays undergo remediation, the robot dog’s work in the bays is crucial to immortalize the “raw” bay structure. CNL staff will be able to use the scans and 3D models rendered by Alpha for work in this area for years to come.
Kudos to all who supported Alpha’s work, using futuristic tech-“paw”-ology to take care of Chalk River’s legacy waste footprint.
