Robotic Exoskeletons Could Help Nuclear Plant Workers

itwbennett (1594911) writes "ActiveLink, which is 80% owned by Panasonic, is building heavy-duty strength-boosting suits that the company says can help workers shoulder the burden of heavy gear and protective clothing and could be useful at nuclear plants. 'Our powered suits could be used to assist and support remote-controlled robots in emergencies,' ActiveLink President Hiromichi Fujimoto said in an interview. 'Workers could wear the suits to carry PackBots to their deployment point and to work in low-radiation areas.'"

If your gear is heavy enough to necessitate robots

[Anonymous Coward]

Just use robots.

Re:If your gear is heavy enough to necessitate rob

[i kan reed]

If your work is delicate or uncertain enough to require human intervention, just use humans. Oh wait, we can't, because we'll die.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

The answer is a forgotten technology that produces an infinite supply of disposable human clones. The ancients perfected the practice eons ago. They called it slavery.

Re:

[Ol Olsoc]

The answer is a forgotten technology that produces an infinite supply of disposable human clones. The ancients perfected the practice eons ago. They called it slavery.

As approved by their holy book.

Re:

[tlambert]

Nuclear plants are on the way out in Japan and around the world anyway. Perhaps they could help disassemble nuclear plants?

Or disassemble the anti-nuclear activists?

Re:

[Ol Olsoc]

Nuclear plants are on the way out in Japan and around the world anyway. Perhaps they could help disassemble nuclear plants?

Or disassemble the anti-nuclear activists?

I'm pro nuclear power. We're either going to adopt it or return to the dark ages.

You're an idiot.

That attitude of yours. How's that working out for ya?

cool tech, but...

[Cardoor]

far too little too late.. the problems/near-impossibilty of cleaning up at Fukushima so mind-bogglingly outstrip whatever theoretical benefit these prototypes suggest as to border on the absurd. never mind the geiger counter.. check out our cool gear! tokyo 2020! huzzah!

*DOH*

[l0ungeb0y]

Damned exoskeletal robot suit's powerful robotic pincers crushed the donuts again. When will I learn?

Re:*DOH*

[geekoid]

You have an exoskeleton robot suit. make OTHERS feed you the donuts.

Re:

[timeOday]

Dude, when are you going to learn, when you're wearing powerful robotic pincers, quit scratching your donuts.

Not really needed

[Mr D from 63]

Nuclear plant workers get very little exposure to start with. There are robotics used for underwater tasks. So there really is not a nuclear power market for such things. There could be some cleanup tasks from old government defense waste sites, but tool as described are very niche use items.

Re:

[Gareth Iwan Fairclough]

Nuclear plant workers get very little exposure to start with. There are robotics used for underwater tasks. So there really is not a nuclear power market for such things. There could be some cleanup tasks from old government defense waste sites, but tool as described are very niche use items.

Yeah. There are only so many S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s around who can afford them after all.

Re:

[Joe_Dragon]

have you worked at SNPP?

Re:

[Mr D from 63]

have you worked at SNPP?

Mr. Burns fired me for some guy named Homer.

Re:

[rtb61]

Not really all that niche. The optimum tool, the feedback exo-suit (the would normally connected to a remote control robot) could quite readily be used for virtual reality gaming in either gyms or in virtual reality gaming hotels (due to the cost of the exo-suit experience). That physical feedback (with resistance and or assistance based upon actual user ability), would make for a far more physically interactive gaming experience, so not just seeing and hearing in three dimension but physically moving in t

Elysium called, they want their plotline back

[m1cr0b3]

It worked out great for Max, why not for others?

Are the robots in charge now?

[wonkey_monkey]

Our powered suits could be used to assist and support remote-controlled robots in emergencies

Hey, aren't the robots supposed to be assisting and supporting us?

could be useful at nuclear plants

Or factories. Or hospitals. Or zoos. Or mines. Or particle accelerators. Or shipyards.

Re:

[mjwx]

Our powered suits could be used to assist and support remote-controlled robots in emergencies

Hey, aren't the robots supposed to be assisting and supporting us?

You assume too much meatbag.

H.E.V. suit

[Iniamyen]

Welcome to the H.E.V. mark 4 protective system. For use in hazardous environment conditions. High-impact reactive armour activated. Atmospheric contaminant sensors activated. Vital sign monitoring activated. Automatic medical systems engaged. Weapon selection system activated. Munition level monitoring activated. Communications interface online. Have a very safe day.

Ever see the inside of a nuclear plant?

[Irate Engineer]

The writer of this article knows jack shit about nuclear plant operations. Ever get a look at the inside of a nuclear containment, especially the older ones with lots of modifications? Just being a human in a coverall getting around can be a PITA, never mind adding an exoskeleton. And the exposure to a worker in a normally operating plant is minimal and very well understood. Exoskeleton not needed, thanks.

This is a solution looking for a problem, or a sentient robot desperately looking for work to feed his