HADRON: Hazard Aware Digitalisation and RObotics in Nuclear and other domains

Technologies like IoT, sensor technology and unmanned vehicles (UVs) are overcoming the primary obstacle (acquisition of required input data) for enabling integrated digital systems supporting operations in environments with industrial hazards.

UVs are becoming more robust and autonomous for protecting humans in environments with industrial hazards.

However, integrated hazard informed modelling (‘intelligence’) (preferably real-time) is required for complementing such systems, e.g. for feasibility and safety demonstration, training, mission control, safety monitoring and other purposes.

IFE has become a key partner in national and international collaborative initiatives, where IFE brings in technology related to intelligent digital and robotic systems for management of hazardous sites and expertise in the application of the technology in decommissioning and other areas.

IFE’s current portfolio of projects related to Hazard-Aware Digitalisation and Robotics:

  • Activities within the OECD NEA Halden Project
  • Industrial innovation projects supported by the Norwegian Research Council (RoboDecom, MEDPROT)
  • Assistance projects supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mainly with Russia and Ukraine (several projects over many years)
  • H2020 EURATOM projects within large international consortia: 3 projects on-going: SHARE, PLEIADES, PREDIS
  • Assistance projects for NND (Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning) in preparation of decommissioning of legacy nuclear sites in Norway
  • IAEA Collaborating Centre
  • The DigiDecom workshop and training series – annual events

The aims are:

  • Enhance understanding of how existing expertise at IFE in cutting-edge market trends (e.g. machine learning, IoT, VR-AR, simulation, …) can be applied in various application areas where the presence of industrial hazards (e.g. radiation, CBRN) is possible. This includes establishing a team of experts who have a basic understanding of nuclear decommissioning, radiological dosimetry, hazard impact (e.g. from airborne contaminants, CBRN, …), emergency response, and other areas.
  • Build up complementary knowledge within the cross-sectorial team related to this virtual department in: Robotics (middleware), Building Information Modelling (BIM), LIDAR, sensor and avoid, path planning, wireless communication, rad hardening, sensor automation, object recognition, visualisation, simulation, and other technologies related to human, remote, or human-robot collaborative work in areas with industrial hazards.
  • Extend hardware testbed at IFE and establish a new laboratory to support IFE’s project portfolio related to hazard-intelligent robotics, as well as support new projects in this field.
  • Support development of a centre of excellence in Halden, in collaboration with national and international partners within the field of hazard-intelligent digitalisation and robotics for a broad range of industries and applications, including decommissioning of industrial facilities, emergency response, radiopharmaceutical production, etc. This includes regularly hosting international experts and students.