Unmanned machines enlisted at N-plant (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

An unmanned water cannon truck this month will join robots being used to deal with the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant more quickly and safely, the unified command headquarters in charge of dealing with the crisis has announced.

Remotely controlled systems manufactured by Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. will be installed in a German-made concrete pumping vehicle to equip it for unmanned operation.

The vehicle will be used to pour water into pools where spent nuclear fuel rods are temporarily stored.

As workers will not need to be aboard the vehicle to operate the pump, their exposure to radiation can be largely avoided.

Aboard another truck, a remotely controlled system called Team Nippon, developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, will be used to search for debris contaminated with high-level radioactive substances.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110502002997.htm

[pnwmom]

1. Finally, they're using the technology that should have been available

from the beginning.