VxWorks: helping clean up radioactive waste

Our customer, Groupe INTRA (Intervention Robotique sur Accident) in France has developed robotic vehicles for the remote analysis and clean up of radioactive sites. Groupe INTRA is chartered to respond to a nuclear accident within 24hrs for its member organizations. This is a very cool and interesting application of robotics and real-time control to protect operators from deadly radiation. First there is ERASE ( External Reconnaissance, Assistance and Surveillance Robot) designed for rough terrain to analyze and transmit details of the accident site back to operators. ERASE and can be controlled form up to 10km away from the site.

Then there is Engine Benne (EBENNE), a remotely controlled dump truck equipped with cameras, lights and a gamma ray detector.

And finally, ERELT T (Teleoperated Relay Robot) which literally relays control information, video and sound from the other robotic vehicles at the site back to operators. INTRA has an entire fleet of robotic vehicles for a complete cleanup of a nuclear accident site.

What does VxWorks have to do with these nuclear accident workhorses? Well, the control centre and robots run VxWorks on an Intel Pentium, 4 processor. All of the systems needed a reliable, real-time and deterministic operating system. In fact, the system required 100ms response time for control and three channels of high resolution video from the vehicles. We're proud of being chosen for such an important role in France's nuclear accident response program and the fact it has performed so well in the harsh and demanding environment where these vehicles exist. Here's a video of the ERASE vehicle in operation: