Intelligent semiautonomous waste inspection robot-ARIES

Abstract

The ARIES system was developed for the Federal Energy Technology Center by a team consisting of the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and Cybermotion Inc., under the management of South Carolina University Research and Education Foundation. The ARIES robot was designed to visually inspect drums of low-level nuclear waste in U.S. Department of Energy warehouses. The inspection process detects rust, blisters, and dents and compares these features with previously stored data and images of the same drum. The system is self-charging and must operate from batteries for >4 h between charges.