Research on Debris Removal Robot

Abstract

This study developed a debris removal robot for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The creative robot contest for decommissioning the nuclear reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is an annual competition based on problem-based learning. It aims to stimulate students’ interest in decommissioning nuclear reactors while simultaneously imparting problem-solving skills. The development of our debris removal robot started with this contest. The proposed robot can travel in a pipe, has a 3 m tele-scopic arm, and is equipped with a debris removal device known as a spiral catcher. This report pro-vides an overview of this robot. We expect that com-plex robot development will be achieved by putting forth several ideas from various fields and fostering advanced problem-solving skills by encouraging students to address difficult tasks. Therefore, we success-fully fostered the social implementation skills of students and developed a debris removal robot.