Nuclear Decommissioning Robot Swarm DecomBot Completes Autonomous High-Radiation Zone Cleanup in Japan

Nuclear decommissioning technology company Createc announced on May 4 that its DecomBot robot swarm completed the first fully autonomous radioactive waste cleanup operation in a high-radiation zone at a decommissioned research reactor in Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Six DecomBot units worked continuously for 72 hours in areas with radiation dose rates up to 500 millisieverts per hour, completing the entire process of waste identification, sorting, encapsulation, and transfer without any personnel entering the radiation zone.

Createc technical director Tom Mead explained that DecomBot's core capability is "radiation-aware navigation" — each robot's gamma ray camera and neutron detector create real-time 3D radiation dose distribution maps. The system automatically plans optimal work paths based on radiation maps, ensuring each robot completes its mission while controlling cumulative radiation exposure within electronic component tolerance limits.

Tokai-mura decommissioning project leader Yamada Taro said: "The high-radiation zone of this facility was originally planned for 15 years of phased cleanup by workers in protective suits. DecomBot reduced this to 3 years while completely eliminating personnel radiation exposure risk." Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved incorporating DecomBot into standard nuclear facility decommissioning procedures.