Tomsk Scientists Develop Robot for Inspecting Hazardous Nuclear Industry Facilities
Researchers at Tomsk Polytechnic University have developed a robotic system designed to inspect communications infrastructure at radiation-hazardous facilities during preparations for decommissioning. Engineers from the Engineering School of Nondestructive Testing and Safety at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have developed a robotic inspection system intended for diagnosing pipelines and other communications infrastructure at radiation-hazardous facilities before they are taken out of service.
The project is being carried out under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s Prioritet-2030 (Priority-2030) programme within the national Molodezh i deti (Youth and Children) project. The initiative is aimed at strengthening Russia’s technological independence and safety standards in the nuclear energy sector.
The deterioration of pipelines and the accumulation of radioactive deposits on the internal surfaces of piping systems and other infrastructure at nuclear power plants and radiation-chemical facilities has long posed a challenge for the industry. Complex engineering layouts, high radiation levels and the difficulty of conducting precise external measurements have complicated both diagnostics and contamination assessment. The new system is intended to address those issues by enabling safer and more effective monitoring of facility conditions.
Design and Functional Features
The robotic complex includes a tracked mechanical platform, a remote-control system with video communications, dedicated software for data collection and analysis, and integrated radiation monitoring instruments, including a dosimeter and a gamma-radiation spectrometer.
The system’s main advantage is its universal chassis, which is designed to move across different surface types while accommodating interchangeable measurement modules. That configuration allows the robot to inspect pipelines of varying shapes and sizes, including circular and rectangular sections with diameters ranging from 450 mm to 1500 mm.
More than 80% of the system’s components are manufactured in Russia, and that high level of localisation is expected to support the country’s broader technological sovereignty goals.
Testing and Potential Applications
The device has already completed laboratory testing covering mobility, telemetry and video signal transmission. The next stage will involve operational testing at TPU’s research nuclear reactor, with trials scheduled for summer 2026.
The developers expect the technology to be used not only at operating nuclear power plants, but also during the decommissioning of older facilities, where accurate monitoring of communications infrastructure is critical for maintaining safety.
Development Outlook
The creation of Russia’s first domestically developed robotic system for inspecting communications infrastructure at radiation-hazardous facilities represents a significant step toward improving safety and technological independence in the nuclear sector.
No comparable robotic platform previously existed in Russia. Similar systems are available abroad, but they are larger and are primarily designed for inspecting large-scale infrastructure because they cannot pass through pipelines and ventilation systems.
The TPU-developed system also has strong export potential as global demand for technologies designed to inspect hazardous nuclear and industrial infrastructure continues to grow.
