Nuclear Facility Inspection Robot

Why nuclear operations buy this

Every walkdown adds to someone’s dose record

Dose is the constraint

Routine surveillance entries, even in low-dose-rate areas, accumulate across the year. Robots take the repeat readings so people are reserved for tasks that genuinely need them.

Records must be defensible

Regulatory walkdowns demand traceable evidence. Photos, readings and locations captured automatically are consistent and timestamped — not dependent on an operator’s camera discipline.

Access is awkward, not flat

Cable spreads, valve galleries and pump halls mix steps, grating and cluttered floors. Legged platforms go where rails and drones cannot, without permanent install work in radiological areas.

What the system does on every walkdown

Radiation dose-rate mapping — gamma detector integrated on the platform; dose rate logged continuously along the route and rendered as a floor-plan heat map.
Controlled-area visual walkdowns — 4K imagery of labels, post indicators, pipe conditions and housekeeping status, each frame geolocated and timestamped.
Thermal inspection of plant — pumps, motors, panel fronts and heat exchangers scanned for hot spots; radiometric data retained alongside visual records.
Anomaly flagging — unusual readings, leaks, damaged insulation or blocked access routes flagged for human review with exact location.
Audit-grade record export — every round produces a structured report (readings, imagery, dose map) suitable for append to your surveillance programme records.
Contamination-conscious design — smooth surfaces, minimal crevices and wipe-down-friendly cabling; decontamination procedures agreed with your RP team.

Nuclear patrol configuration

Quadruped inspection robot on patrol in an industrial plant corridor

Plant-area patrol configuration — dose, thermal and visual data recorded to audit standard along the route

Typical configuration

Reference specification — adapted to your facility

Radiation sensing	Gamma dose-rate detector sized with your RP team to the expected range; continuous logging with alarm thresholds
Thermal camera	Radiometric module for plant and electrical targets
Visible camera	4K with zoom and low-light capability for indoor plant areas
Navigation	3D LiDAR SLAM, fully GPS-denied; reliable in plant halls and cable spreads
Records	Structured round reports: readings, geolocated imagery, dose map; export formats agreed with your document control
Environmental	Dust-protected build; decontamination-wipeable surfaces; operational limits set per your area classification
Software	ROS 2 + Python SDK; dashboard with dose heat-map, round history and export tooling
Security	On-site data handling; no cloud dependency required; integration into your plant networks per your cyber rules

Scope note: Nuclear deployments proceed under your site’s safety, RP and cyber-security governance. QINQI provides the integrated system and engineering support; plant procedures and regulatory commitments remain the operator’s authority. Applicable export-control and site-access requirements are confirmed case by case.

Deployment blueprint

How a nuclear facilities deployment typically looks

A reference shape for a quadruped inspection rollout in nuclear facilities. Every system is re-scoped to your site — this is the typical starting point, not a fixed offer.

Typical environments

Turbine halls & pump rooms
Fuel-handling & storage areas
Containment & waste facilities
Post-event & decontamination surveys

Key constraints

Radiological & contamination control
Access permissions & dose monitoring
Electromagnetic considerations
Decontamination-friendly design
Air-gapped data where required

Platform, payload & routine

Decontamination-friendly quadruped (e.g. Unitree B2-class) selected per area
Payload: radiation dosimeters + thermal + visible + optional gas
Routine: routine area monitoring, remote inspection of hard-to-reach plant, dose-reduction surveys
Logged readings for dose-trend records

What you can expect: Lower cumulative dose uptake for personnel; remote inspection of contaminated or restricted zones; repeatable surveys with logged radiation readings.

From area assessment to live walkdowns

Deployment and expected value

Area assessment

Walkdown routes, dose zones, RP requirements and record formats agreed with your operations and RP teams.

System build & test

Detector range, reporting formats and navigation behaviour configured for the selected areas.

Commission & handover

Supervised rounds, RP sign-off of procedures, operators trained, records flowing to document control.

ALARA

repeat entries shifted to robot

100%

traceable round records

On-site

data handling, no cloud required

GPS-free

SLAM navigation in plant areas

Related insights

Questions engineers ask before a pilot

How much radiation can the platform tolerate?

It varies by platform and by component, and we state the real figure in the specification rather than a range that flatters it. Electronics have a cumulative dose limit, so we plan routes and round frequencies against the measured dose field of your areas. In practice the system is used to take the dose off people in the areas that consume your budget, with the platform treated as a managed component with a tracked dose history.

Can it be decontaminated?

Yes — decontamination is a design input, not an afterthought. The platforms we configure use smooth, washable surfaces, sealed joints and minimal crevices, and they tolerate standard decon agents used at your facility. Where required, we specify a bagging or shrouding approach. Decon procedure is agreed with your health physics team during commissioning.

Will the regulator accept robot-collected data as a walkdown record?

In most regimes the answer is that it replaces the person's exposure, not the qualified inspector's judgement — the record still carries a responsible reviewer. We deliver traceable, timestamped, position-tagged evidence that supports that review, and we provide the documentation your quality organisation needs to qualify the method. We do not overstate what automation can settle for you.

Can it get around inside containment?

Typically yes: standard industrial stairs, gratings, cable trays, airlock thresholds and confined access are within quadruped capability. The constraints are usually door widths, hatch dimensions and clearance at specific penetrations. We walk the actual route with you — or against your drawings — and confirm reachability before you commit to a pilot.

Quadruped Robots for Nuclear Facility Inspection