Robotic trio

During cleanup and dismantling programmes, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has undertaken to standardise tools to characterise radiological data on the basis of robotic systems. Each is made up of a mobile robot for work on the floor of the area concerned, and a remote piloting system for the inspection platform. We suggest categorising them with regard to deployability, defined as the way in which the operators can manage the robot at the entrance to the operation zone, as proposed by Robin Murphy in the book Disaster Robotics. Three categories can be defined: [blacksquare] Man-packable: robots that can be handled by one or two operators wearing suitable protective clothing and equipment. The robot's physical features must not upset the handler's centre of gravity.