Hardware Podcasts

Decommissioning chemical missiles with robots

The Robot Report Podcast · 4 Nov 2021 · 1h 05m

What this episode covers

James DeSmet, president and CEO of CRG Automation, explains how his company designed a robotic system to decommission 70,000 chemical M55 rockets at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky. The system utilizes Kawasaki industrial robots and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) autonomous mobile robots to package nerve agents into sealed canisters, replacing a dangerous shearing process. DeSmet details the engineering challenges of handling 60-year-old munitions, including warped tubes and leaking agents, and the collaborative process with government experts to meet the 2023 international treaty deadline. The episode also covers recent autonomous vehicle news, including Cruise's driverless rides in San Francisco and Waymo's mapping efforts in New York City.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
CRG Automation, Cruise, Waymo, Nuro, Skyline Robotics, Geek Plus, Tech Man Robot, Omron, Facebook
Also
Kawasaki, Mobile Industrial Robots, Kuka, MiR, Dinosave, PEO Aqua

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 27m

    Episode Five - Robots for hazardous environments: into the extremes

    Dr. Simon Watson of the University of Manchester and Jonathon Witty of the UK Atomic Energy Authority discuss robotics in hazardous environments. Watson details the design of the Evexis and Mirax robots for nuclear decommissioning at sites like Sellafield and Fukushima, focusing on localization challenges in confined, turbid spaces. Witty explains the MASCOT teleoperated robotic system used for maintenance inside the JET fusion reactor, highlighting the complexities of haptic feedback and operator training.

    Robotics & autonomySensors & measurement in products
    8 chapters

  • Robot Talk · 19m

    Episode 64: Robots for nuclear decommissioning - Rav Chunilal

    Rav Chunilal, Head of Robotics & AI at Sellafield Ltd, discusses the deployment of robotics and AI technologies for the UK's largest nuclear site decommissioning. He explains how Sellafield uses underwater ROVs and quadruped robots to access hazardous, legacy radioactive areas, employing radiation hardening and shielding to protect electronics. The episode highlights the integration of AI strategies, including internal chat models and automated documentation analysis, to improve operational efficiency and decision-making across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 40m

    Cleaning America’s 500,000 Toxic Land Sites: The PFAS Breakthrough

    Randol Aikin, founder of Remedy Scientific, explains how his company uses containerized robotics and AI to remediate land contaminated by PFAS and other toxins. He details the technical challenge of breaking down 'forever chemicals' using mechanical energy in a high-energy ball milling reactor, rather than traditional high-heat methods. Aikin discusses the company's transition from stealth to early-stage deployment, targeting the 580 Department of Defense sites with known PFAS contamination as an initial market.

    Materials & manufacturing processesEnergy & climate tech
    7 chapters

  • Robot Talk · 19m

    Episode Fifty-One: James Kell

    James Kell, Robotics Technical Director at Jacobs Engineering UK, discusses applying robotics and remote handling to critical national infrastructure, including nuclear power plants, rail, and water systems. He details his previous work at Rolls-Royce developing a snake-like robot for jet engine inspection, which bridged aerospace and medical technologies, and introduces the new CRADLE project with the University of Manchester to develop reconfigurable robotic systems for demanding environments.

    Robotics & autonomyMechanical engineering
    7 chapters

  • Robot Talk · 23m

    Episode 100: Robots in space - Mini Rai

    Mini Rai, founding Director of Orbit Rise and former Global Chair in Robotic Engineering at the University of Lincoln, discusses the challenges and future of orbital and planetary robotics. She details the harsh environment of space, including radiation and thermal extremes, and explains how Orbit Rise is developing autonomous robots for active debris removal and in-orbit recycling to support a circular space economy. Rai also highlights the technology transfer between space robotics and nuclear decommissioning, specifically applying walking robotic manipulator concepts to fusion reactor maintenance.

    Robotics & autonomyMaterials & manufacturing processes
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Robot Report Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.