The National Nuclear User Facility for Hot Robotics (NNUF-HR) is an EPSRC funded facility to support UK academia and industry to deliver ground-breaking, impactful research in robotics and artificial intelligence for application in extreme and challenging nuclear environments.
Remote Applications in Challenging Environments, Oxfordshire
RACE forms the primary NNUF-HR hub where a large array of robots and mock-ups are housed. Additional functionality is provided through 'hot' test capabilities and portable solutions.
Collaboration with academia and industry is facilitated by RACE's proximity to Harwell, AWE and a multitude of academic institutions.
The University of Bristol's facility will provide substantial space for developing mobile robotic applications as enhanced tools for environmental field surveying.
Its main capabilities will focus on UAVs and mobile ground vehicles and it offers 245 acres of space for test deployments.
Located at the centre of the UK’s nuclear industry in West Cumbria, this facility provides mock-ups and robotic equipment to enable researchers to address nuclear decommissioning challenges.
Specific capabilities include a pond equipped with an underwater position system, robotic manipulators and a variety of mobile robots.
NNL’s facility comprises of equipment and flexible floorspace to develop, test, and demonstrate robotic solutions for the nuclear industry.
The research test rigs available at the NNL Workington Laboratory will be on an industrial scale, acting as a link between low TRL robotics research and technology progression to TRL 9. (For more information, please see the NNL page on this website).
The Hot Robotics website (listing all equipment and facilities) will be launched in 2021. Until then, please refer to the information in the pink box:
Hot Robotics Facility availability
Facilities will be available from April 2021. In the interim and despite the lockdown, users can access a selection of equipment offsite from UKAEA, the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester. The selection of equipment is reduced but will progressively increase over time. To view the current available equipment, please see below:
Then, you will need to complete a simple NNUF application form. When doing so, please upload the email exchange between you and the facility's technician confirming the feasibility of your proposed research and the finalised costs.