Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group has signed a co-operation agreement with Leeds-based Covvi Robotics.
Building on Atkins鈥� patented work to deploy robots in the nuclear sector, the two firms will adapt Covvi鈥檚 bionic hand, originally developed for prosthetic surgery applications. The hand, or 鈥榚nd effector鈥�, will be attached to a robotic arm and enable workers to perform dangerous manipulations remotely. The product will be integrated into Atkins鈥� collaborative robotic solutions in the nuclear sector, including its use in glovebox operations to handle nuclear materials and waste, removing the need for operators to place hands in gloveboxes.
Sam Stephens, head of digital in SNC-Lavalin鈥檚 nuclear division, said: 鈥淩obotics hold huge potential for the nuclear sector and we expect their use to become increasingly common over the coming decade as the industry seeks to improve safety, increase efficiency and address increasing skills shortages.
鈥淲orking with Covvi to reconfigure their bionic hand for teleoperation combines our knowledge of nuclear, digital and robotics capabilities with Covvi鈥檚 expertise and world-leading prosthetics. It鈥檚 an example of how collaboration is crucial to help accelerate innovation and bring forward new solutions that address some of the sector鈥檚 biggest challenges swiftly and cost-effectively. The new robotic hand has the potential to reduce risk and improve productivity for the nuclear operators that we work with in partnership with around the world, and we look forward to seeing it deliver results soon.鈥�
Covvi chief executive Simon Pollard said: 鈥淲e are delighted to have finalised this partnership and share our plans to expand into the robotics market. The robotics market continues to develop at pace as it becomes more affordable, scalable, and customisable. With over five years developing our own world-leading, multi-articulated bionic hand, Covvi was Atkins鈥� preferred choice to partner with to introduce this state-of-the-art technology to the nuclear sector. We are excited about the opportunity to develop and implement innovative solutions to create safer, more efficient processes in hazardous environments intrinsic to the nuclear industry.鈥�
The two firms have been working together for six months to develop the integration between the robotic hand and collaborative robots such as Kinova鈥檚 Gen3 arm that Atkins uses to work in gloveboxes. Alongside this new solution, Atkins is also developing a digital twin to rehearse and plan glovebox activity to increase efficiency.
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