Hyundai Motor Group said on the 11th that Spot, the quadruped walking robot from its robotics affiliate Boston Dynamics, is being deployed and used in decommissioning work at a U.K. nuclear facility.
Sellafield, a state-owned company under the U.K. nuclear decommissioning authority, recently revealed that Spot is being used at nuclear decommissioning sites. Observers say it is significant in that robots perform tasks in high-risk environments in place of people, improving safety and sustainability at industrial sites.
At Sellafield, access is often restricted due to radiation exposure and complex internal structures. On-site inspections require accurate data collection, but ensuring worker safety has been difficult at the same time. In response, Sellafield introduced a robot-based site inspection system and deployed Spot to collect data and conduct remote inspections in areas that are hard for people to enter.
Spot is equipped with a range of detection sensors and functions tailored to nuclear facility environments. It moved stably within structures, including rough terrain and stairs. Hyundai Motor Group also said Spot precisely identifies site layouts through 360-degree video capture and 3D LiDAR scanning, and managers can check site conditions remotely via real-time video streaming.
Spot is performing "radiation characterization" to confirm the presence of radioactive materials, and recently completed a test "sample collection" operation to check for radioactive contamination inside the facility. Sellafield said the introduction of Spot has significantly reduced workers' exposure to risk.
Sellafield said overall decommissioning work has accelerated because Spot can remain on site longer than people to carry out inspections. Reduced use of personal protective equipment has also cut work-related waste, and securing high-quality real-time data has improved decision-making speed.
Sellafield began trial operations of Spot in 2021 and verified its operability in complex environments in 2022–2023. In 2024, it used Spot for inspections even in high-risk radiation areas, and last year achieved the U.K. nuclear sector's first remote demonstration of Spot outside a power station's licensed area, confirming the potential for fully remote operations that separate workers from the site.
On the 5th, the BBC reported on tests of Spot's sample collection technology. A Sellafield official told the BBC, "Spot entered hazardous areas nimbly, and this process was precisely controlled by the operator," adding, "It can enable safer and more efficient facility decommissioning and help accelerate the adoption of advanced robotics in the nuclear sector."