“Iron Man” inspires robotic suit for nuclear workers in hazardous areas

The superhero Iron Man, familiar from comic books and films, is the inspiration behind the project, in which Bristol University’s South West Nuclear Hub is collaborating with Sellafield Ltd, the company which manages the large nuclear site in Cumbria and is responsible for decommissioning many of its facilities. Currently, workers in hazardous environments wear air-fed PVC suits, but these get so hot they can only be worn for a limited time. Prof Tom Scott, co-director of the Nuclear Hub, is leading the project to develop an improved robotic-composite system.

The suit, which Prof Scott stresses will look nothing like Tony Stark’s fictional outfit, will nonetheless incorporate versions of many of its features. An augmented-reality display and audio system will feed the wearer information about the tasks they will have to perform, and the suit will incorporate its own power source (although it won’t be a nuclear reactor like Iron Man’s). The protective function of the suit will be performed by composite plates which will be easier to decontaminate than PVC while also providing protection against radiation levels in the parts of the decommissioning zone that are contaminated with radioactive materials. The robotic functions, provided by a powered exoskeleton, will help reduce the mechanical load on the worker’s body if they are in a confined space or need to lift heavy items.