Exploring the Future of Robotic Applications for IAEA Safeguards Verification

The IAEA Department of Safeguards conducted a Robotics Challenge in 2017, culminating in a weeklong demonstration featuring twelve prototype robotic systems at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Pullenvale, Australia. The primary objective of the Robotics Challenge was to expedite the development of innovative robotics systems that could aid IAEA inspectors in performing repetitive inspection tasks. Due to a lower technology gap and the availability of suitable instrumentation, unmanned surface vehicles, designed to facilitate the verification of spent fuel by propelling themselves across the surface of a pond, emerged as a top candidate. Given the critical and resource-intensive nature of spent fuel verification for safeguards, this technology was identified as a high-value addition to the suite of IAEA field instrumentation. The Robotized Cerenkov Viewing Device (RCVD), an autonomous floating platform equipped with the newest generation of Cerenkov Viewing Device (CVD), was developed through a multi-year effort together with highly skilled suppliers from all over the world. The RCVD now stands as the first robotized system regularly employed by the IAEA to support in-field inspections. Its swift adoption showcases how the IAEA has harnessed advancements in robotics to enhance the efficiency and safety of safeguards verifications. Although unmanned ground vehicles were initially deemed less promising for safeguards applications, recent technological advancements in the area of autonomy have sparked a reassessment. The emergence of mature commercial ground robotics products, concomitant with the IAEA’s adoption of compact, lightweight cadmium zinc telluride detectors that can easily be adapted as an instrument payload, has reinvigorated the IAEA’s interest. In addition to delving into the challenges and key factors that fueled the production of the groundbreaking RCVD, this paper will explore potential usage scenarios whereby ground robots may assist IAEA inspectors in the field. Furthermore, the paper will consider whether limitations in instrument payload that previously impeded the adoption of aerial platforms are now resolved, such that the current state of technology can support their integration into safeguards verification activities.