Hitachi unveils robot to clean Fukushima plant

Japan's Hitachi Group on Dec. 7 said it has developed a relatively small, hand-operated two-handed robot to clean or transport items in an area with radioactive concentrations. high.

Astaco-SoRa robot

The robot, which was introduced at the company's plant in Ibaraki, will be used at the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Each arm of this robot, by Hitachi Engineering & Services Co. and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. developed, can lift a weight of about 150kg and cut steel if it is equipped with a steel cutting device.

Users can control this robot from a remote location thanks to the support of six robotic cameras. This 2.5-ton robot is named Astaco-SoRa and can operate in tight spaces because it is only 98cm wide.

Compared to the current robots manufactured by other manufacturers and designed for use at the Fukushima plant, the new robot can carry relatively heavy objects.