TY - GEN
T1 - Low-Cost Rapid-Development Air-Ground Robotic Solution for Nuclear Power Plant Inspection
AU - Tian, Changda
AU - Arachchige, Sasanka Kuruppu
AU - Li, Haichuan
AU - Cárdenas, Juan José García
AU - Raei, Hamidreza
AU - Dincer, Enes
AU - Kenan, Alperen
AU - Bremner, Paul
AU - Giuliani, Manuel
AU - Neumann, Gerhard
AU - Ajoudani, Arash
AU - Tapus, Adriana
AU - Westerlund, Tomi
AU - Kämarainen, Joni Kristian
AU - Figueredo, Luis
AU - Watson, Simon
AU - Trahanias, Panos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 IEEE.
PY - 2025/1/1
Y1 - 2025/1/1
N2 - This paper presents a practical, low-cost, and swiftly developed heterogeneous robotic system-comprising an aerial drone and a ground vehicle-designed for inspection and situational awareness in nuclear power plant (NPP) environments. Developed during the EnRicH 2025 competition in AKW Zwentendorf, our solution prioritized rapid prototyping using ROS2, off-the-shelf components, and open-source frameworks, achieving deployment within 3 weeks. We detail the design methodology: a 3D-printed airframe for the drone, an Ackermann-steering UGV, and a combined sensor suite composed of LiDAR, IMU, and radiation detection modules. Control and navigation algorithms were implemented using ROS2, leveraging SLAM and a hybrid autonomy paradigm to address GNSS denial inside containment structures. We also tackle communication challenges within shielded environments by integrating a modular mesh network and signal repeaters. Field trials in a real NPP demonstrated robust localization, reliable communication despite severe attenuation, and real-time radiation monitoring. Our contribution is a fully reproducible, low-cost air-ground inspection solution validated in a real NPP, together with a complete open-source release of mechanical designs, BOMs, firmware, and ROS2 software stacks.
AB - This paper presents a practical, low-cost, and swiftly developed heterogeneous robotic system-comprising an aerial drone and a ground vehicle-designed for inspection and situational awareness in nuclear power plant (NPP) environments. Developed during the EnRicH 2025 competition in AKW Zwentendorf, our solution prioritized rapid prototyping using ROS2, off-the-shelf components, and open-source frameworks, achieving deployment within 3 weeks. We detail the design methodology: a 3D-printed airframe for the drone, an Ackermann-steering UGV, and a combined sensor suite composed of LiDAR, IMU, and radiation detection modules. Control and navigation algorithms were implemented using ROS2, leveraging SLAM and a hybrid autonomy paradigm to address GNSS denial inside containment structures. We also tackle communication challenges within shielded environments by integrating a modular mesh network and signal repeaters. Field trials in a real NPP demonstrated robust localization, reliable communication despite severe attenuation, and real-time radiation monitoring. Our contribution is a fully reproducible, low-cost air-ground inspection solution validated in a real NPP, together with a complete open-source release of mechanical designs, BOMs, firmware, and ROS2 software stacks.
KW - Robots for nuclear power plant
KW - heterogeneous robots inspection
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035838743
U2 - 10.1109/SSRR68451.2025.11391258
DO - 10.1109/SSRR68451.2025.11391258
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105035838743
T3 - 2025 IEEE International Symposium on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics, SSRR 2025
SP - 84
EP - 89
BT - 2025 IEEE International Symposium on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics, SSRR 2025
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2025 IEEE International Symposium on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics, SSRR 2025
Y2 - 29 October 2025 through 31 October 2025
ER -