Status of development of robotic devices for ISI of PFBR and reprocessing plants

Automation and remote handling with robotic technology play a crucial role in almost all facets of nuclear fuel cycle viz, fuel fabrication, post-irradiation examination (PIE), in-service inspection (ISI) of plants and components using non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, fuel reprocessing and waste management and last but not the least for decommissioning of nuclear plants. High radiation, temperature and inaccessibility make the task of design and development of customized robotic devices a challenging opportunity. This paper describes various innovative developments carried out at IGCAR. (author)