Clean the Fukushima plant with a remote control

Remote control construction machines have been introduced into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to clear roads and paths filled with radioactive debris.

Information provided by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on April 11, 2011.

According to the image released by TEPCO , the effects of a 9-magnitude earthquake, a 15-meter high tsunami and two hydrogen explosions in reactor buildings have made the Fukushima Daiichi plant a brick pile. Crumbling crumbs. Some fragments have high levels of radioactivity, hindering the cleaning and moving of workers here.

The cleaning machines include an excavator, a transport vehicle, all equipped with a remote control system . The cameras are mounted on each part of the device and TEPCO places 6 more cameras around the areas where the work will take place.

The entire operation is managed from a mobile control room, where employees can watch videos from cameras and manipulate machines, said Fukushima spokesman Hiro Hasegawa.

The cleanup began when both devices were positioned near the scattered debris area. Excavator (with huge bucket) picks up the debris and puts it in the container on the back of the transport vehicle. It takes about 2 hours to complete this.

Once filled, the excavator tapped the lid of the container again and the transport vehicle arrived in a temporary place. Loading and unloading takes about 1 hour to complete, and then the new cycle starts again.

Remote control machines are developed for use in hazardous construction environments, such as near volcanoes or where landslides may occur, spokesman for Yoshikawa Co. - system developer said.

The radio control system usually has a range of about 300 meters, but here, a radio relay station is used to increase signal strength and allow controllers to operate from a maximum of 2 km, spokesman for Yoshikawa said.