Off-Beat-News
Robot to explore Fukushima fallout─── 11:31 Sat, 17 Jun 2017
Fukushima - Toshiba and a team of researchers have developed a swimming robot, which is being called "little sunfish", to explore the flooded parts of a nuclear plant.
When a tsunami devastated parts of Japan's coastline in 2011, killing more than 18 000 people, it also hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant, triggering the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
Parts of the damaged reactors are still highly contaminated with radiation and robotics are playing a crucial part in the clean-up.
The size of a loaf of bread, the little sunfish is equipped with lights for its tough mission and manoeuvres with tail propellers. It collects data with two cameras and a dosimeter to measure radiation.
The cute little robot hit the waters this week at a test facility near Tokyo, slowly making its maiden journey.
It will be sent into the reactor next month.
AFP
