Advancing Glovebox Operations: Lessons and Innovations in Robotics and Automation Technologies

The Automation Technologies for Glovebox Processing (ATGP) team, a team part of the Strategic Laboratory Assessment (SLA) program, is a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), tasked to advance automation technologies to address the challenges associated with Surplus Plutonium Disposition (SPD) glovebox operations at the Savannah River Nuclear Site (SRNS). By developing robotic systems, machine vision, and automated control schemes for robotic arms, the team seeks to enhance worker safety, improve ergonomics, and increase operational throughput. The ATGP team has utilized full-scale testbeds to develop and evaluate these technologies, ensuring realistic simulations and stakeholder input throughout the process. In addition to these developmental efforts, the ATGP team has drawn upon lessons learned from collaborations with other national laboratories and industry partners, as well as from participation in automation and robotics conferences. These lessons have informed technology design decisions, risk mitigation strategies, and approaches to system scalability. Key takeaways include best practices for integrating automation in highly regulated environments, addressing the unique challenges of radiological workspaces, and developing machine vision for operational feedback. This presentation will explore the development of automation technologies for glovebox operations and the lessons learned throughout the process, emphasizing the potential of these systems to modernize nuclear materials management and mitigate operational risks.