From Surgical Procedures to Glovebox Processing: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Glovebox Operations for High-Consequence Materials

Abstract

High-consequence materials, such as nuclear waste, pose significant risks if improperly handled. Gloveboxes provide a controlled environment to manage these materials safely, yet they present challenges in operator safety, efficiency, and ergonomics. This paper addresses these challenges by presenting a proof-of-concept framework for Semi-Autonomous Robot Teleportation for Nuclear Glovebox Processing (SART-NGP). Unlike the existing manual systems already in use at nuclear facilities, the SART-NGP framework incorporates adjustable autonomy capabilities, drawing inspiration from advancements in surgical robotics. By integrating high-level human inputs, semi-autonomous execution, robust feedback mechanisms, and a simulator-based interface, this framework significantly enhances safety and efficiency while alleviating ergonomic concerns associated with glovebox processing in nuclear facilities. Although we have not fully solved the challenges associated with nuclear glovebox processing, our research provides promising insights and methodologies that may significantly improve the management of high-consequence materials and augments existing efforts in self-driving labs for glovebox operations. The findings suggest that the SART-NGP framework holds substantial potential for enhancing glovebox processing in nuclear facilities, with future work focusing on its real-world implementation and evaluation.