British robots help Japan cope with crisis

Published on Sunday 17 April 2011 18:08

BRITISH remote-controlled machines entered the heavily damaged Fukushima power plant at the weekend to assess radiation and temperature levels.

UK defence contractor QinetiQ sent two Talon robots - normally used to clear explosives from war zones - to the site.

It also offered two Dragon Runner robots, which can enter small hazardous spaces. Several converted Bobcat diggers were also sent in a package of equipment thought to be worth about 1 million.

The British robots are controlled using a standard Xbox games console, said QinetiQ, and can clear rubble, carry out demolition and test for radiation. The firm's staff have been in Japan a week, training employees at the Tokyo Electrical Power Company.

A US-made robot, Packbo, will also be used at the plant. It will be the first time an on-site investigation has been carried out since an explosion blew off the roof of the Fukushima's No 3 reactor building last month.

A plant official said: "After the explosion, no-one has been able to go inside. The robot will try to see whether it would be safe for humans to perform work inside."