U.S. Robots to the rescue? How ironic.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is sending some robotic help to Japan to help regain control of the tsunami-damaged nuclear plant.

A top Energy Department official told a Senate panel Tuesday that a shipment of "radiation hardened robotics" will be sent to Japan to assist in the crisis. A department spokeswoman said a robotic device from the Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory is being shipped to Japan along with several radiation-hardened cameras.

Peter Lyons, an acting assistant energy secretary, said Japanese officials were "very, very interested" in learning more about the capabilities of U.S robots. The United States is also sending robot operators who would be used to train Japanese operators, Lyons said.

Robots with electronics built to withstand radiation could presumably work in areas where radiation levels would harm or even kill a person. Workers at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi plant have been exposed to high levels of radiation and burned.

Stephanie Mueller, a spokeswoman for the Energy Department, said remote-controlled robotic machines have been used to conduct environmental cleanup and other activities in contaminated environments, although not at a compromised nuclear reactor such as the ones in Japan.

The device being shipped to Japan is equipped to provide visuals, radiological surveys and mapping data in areas of the plant that are not accessible to humans due to potential elevated radiation levels that are above recommended safety guidelines.

In addition to the robots, the Energy Department has sent about 40 employees and more than 17,000 pounds of equipment to Japan, Lyons said.,

Meanwhile, U.S. government regulators said they are reviewing a wide range of issues potentially affecting the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors, including their ability to protect against natural disasters and terrorist attacks, respond to complete power blackouts and cope with accidents involving spent fuel.

A top official with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that a 90-day review, ordered by President Barack Obama, will include recommendations for possible changes to inspection procedures, licensing review and emergency communications.

Bill Borchardt, the NRC's executive director for operations, told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday that U.S. nuclear plants continue to operate safely.
By MATTHEW DALY - Associated Press


Maybe one day the U.S. will be great again. We help people and save lives, we kill people and save lives.
Once upon a time Japan was the robotics King. I'm not sure where I'm going with this but the life and world I hoped for seems far away.
Spike

Would like to see pictures of those robots .. I thought Japan Was the robotics experts..
Looks like our DOD has been holding out?

I interpret this to be a tell that this event has truly reached the level of being an issue of "international security".



Hopefully this robot will do some good.

Originally posted by unityemissions
I interpret this to be a tell that this event has truly reached the level of being an issue of "international security".

Hopefully this robot will do some good.

What we really need is an International Rescue.

Thunderbirds are Go!

These are only being sent now?

I'm sure the Fukushima 50 is glad to hear that. Not.

I told you, the Japanese have been too busy making little girl robots with sexy moves and clothes (uck) to bother making robots that can actually do something critical.

Originally posted by hbarker
Would like to see pictures of those robots .. I thought Japan Was the robotics experts..
Looks like our DOD has been holding out?

Hell yes. Don't you understand that once taxpayer money is spent to create new technologies that the US Mil is waiting at the pig trough to snatch it up if it in any way whatsoever can be used to kill people?

Then it goes into the big black hole of Mil indust contracts- never to be seen again.

reply to post by chr0naut


I agree. Many other countries have equipment, capabilities and personnel to assist the problem. I'm sure other countries are helping in some ways but you don't hear much about that in the states. I'm not sure of the real state of the problem and wouldn't send my people in until the status was confirmed somehow.
I agree with the suggestion of covering the reactors with concrete, if that would contain the reaction and stop the meltdown.
Spike

Three mile island reactor was cleaned up with robots so the US has the expertise to do this.
www.scientificamerican.com...

US robot were also use around Chernobyl
www.post-gazette.com...

The US also has a number of companies that build explosive disposal robots and military robots.

www.technologyreview.com...
www.scientificamerican.com...

reply to post by ANNED


Thanks for the info and links. I knew we had alot of technical equipment and experts, it just seems with all the downing of America in past few years and that many other countries have surpassed us in so many ways I forget that we still are a powerful and basically good nation.
May we rise from the ashes one day. (?)
Spike