Surveyor: A remotely operated mobile surveillance system

A successful twelve-month program was conducted to evaluate and modify a commercial-ready, wireless, remotely operated surveillance system for use in nuclear power plants. The IRIS
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- Surveyor
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Mobile Surveillance System (Surveyor) was evaluated and improved at EPRI's NDE Center and tested in Duke Power Company's Catawba Nuclear Station. The remotely operated vehicle measures radiation, temperature and relative humidity and provides optical inspection capability. The vehicle is readily maneuvered in 36-inch wide passageways and labyrinth entries and can climb stairs, negotiating 180-degree turns on stair landings. The system consists of a Supervisory Control Station and a rugged, remotely-operated, battery-powered vehicle. The system is entering its next stage of evolution where computer-based obstacle avoidance and autonomous navigation algorithums will be implemented to provide a high degree of operator task relief.