Development of a 1m-Class Sized Robot for Monitoring Radiation Levels in Synchrotron Tunnel
arlTo enable safe and efficient operation of synchrotron facilities, we have developed a 1 m-class medium-sized robot (RAT-L1) capable of monitoring radiation levels inside the accelerator tunnel during operation (Fig. 1).
This robot was developed by Assistant Professor Takasu and his team at the Mechanical Engineering Center (MEC), for use at the Photon Factory (PF). Experience of building and successful deployment of a hand-sized small robot (small-RAT) in 2024, RAT-L1 has been scaled up the size to allow for more stable and long running time for radiation monitoring.
To shorten development time and support potential mass production, the robot’s chassis is based on a commercially available ride-on RC car. The system is equipped with a radiation monitor, a CCD camera, a high-capacity battery, and a control unit, allowing for remote radiation measurement from a safe location outside the tunnel.
Operation and data acquisition from the robot, including radiation level readings, are carried out through EPICS, a software environment widely used in distributed control systems for large-scale experimental equipment.
The robot underwent multiple test runs inside the tunnel during 2025 PF’s summer maintenance period in July. Operational tests for full deployment during the facility’s operating period went on at 2025 November.
This achievement was presented at the August meeting of the Particle Accelerator Society of Japan. Continuous monitoring of radiation inside an active synchrotron tunnel using a mobile robot is rare, and this development is expected to contribute significantly to improving the operational efficiency of such facilities.
