Snake-like robot unveiled for Fukushima debris removal

Dubai: A snake-like robot designed to remove radioactive debris from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been unveiled by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The remote-controlled device is part of ongoing efforts to decommission the site more than a decade after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

The robot features a 22-metre-long arm weighing about 4.6 tonnes and is built to navigate narrow, tunnel-like passages inside the damaged reactors. Engineers say the flexible design allows it to manoeuvre through complex and confined spaces that remain unsafe for human workers due to high radiation levels.

According to TEPCO, the device will be deployed later this year as part of a third trial to remove melted fuel debris from one of the reactors. Previous attempts have faced technical challenges, highlighting the difficulty of dismantling the heavily damaged facility.

The new robotic system marks a significant step in Japan’s long-term clean-up mission at Fukushima.

Video and inputs: AFP