Development of inspection robot for nuclear power plant

The author describes monorail-type inspection robots. The robots, which are compact in size, run along a guiderail and can detect any type of abnormality using a TV camera, a microphone, and an infrared camera. An outline of the inspection robotic system is given. The system was designed and fabricated to suit the primary containment vessel environment; a crowded area with pipes, valves, and other fixed structures. Compactness was essential, so the functions were considered in two categories: a visual inspection robot and an acoustic/thermal inspection robot. The system consisted of two visual inspection robots, two acoustic/thermal robots, the rail controllers, a local control board including the power supply, a modulator, and switches