[en] Throughout the lifetime of nuclear facilities, radiological inspections are of vital importance, as controlling the radiological state of these facilities is necessary to ensure that their operations remain safe. These inspections are equally important during dismantling and decommissioning (D and D). Inspections of facilities that have contained radionuclides, particularly high activity cells, and very high activity cells are the first step when planning to carry out maintenance and D and D operations. Therefore, the development of investigation robots for hostile environments is a strategic approach in the nuclear field in order to meet these needs. The CEA and CYBERIA have worked together to develop the RICA robot (Robot d'Inspection pour Cellules Aveugles, or blind cell inspection robot), which can locate and measure the activity of radioactive sources. Since 2007, RICA is one of the strategic apparatuses that the CEA has been using for dismantling operations in its nuclear facilities. This small tracked robot was developed to offer a good level of modularity in terms of the onboard equipment able to carry out inspection and sampling missions in extremely hostile environments. To be able to do this, it can be operated either with a complete unit of radiological measurement tools or with a remote-handling arm. The measurement unit consists of a gamma camera, a gamma spectrometer, and a dose rate detector. This innovative radiological measurement unit enables in situ activity quantification and the collection of all the information necessary to interpret the radiological spectra. On the other hand, when equipped with a remote-handling arm, the unit can be used to carry out samplings, which will then be analyzed in a laboratory. This paper first presents the RICA robot, giving its main technical features. The innovative radiological measurement unit is described, explaining each of its bricks. The gamma irradiator tests that qualified the robot's functioning under irradiation are described, and the dose resistance results are analyzed. Lastly, examples of tasks in which RICA has been used in CEA nuclear facilities illustrate the robot's modularity. (authors)

[en] During cleanup and dismantling programmes, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has undertaken to standardise tools to characterise radiological data on the basis of robotic systems. Each is made up of a mobile robot for work on the floor of the area concerned, and a remote piloting system for the inspection platform. We suggest categorising them with regard to deployability, defined as the way in which the operators can manage the robot at the entrance to the operation zone. Three categories can be defined: - Man-packable: robots that can be handled by one or two operators wearing suitable protective clothing and equipment. The robot's physical features must not upset the handler's centre of gravity. - Man-portable: robots that can be handled by one or two operators wearing suitable protective clothing and equipment. - Maxi: bulky or heavy robots that require an additional handling system to be set up for their management. Each of these robot categories means different environmental constraints concerning the system's entrance and retrieval for the operating zone involved. In collaboration with Cyberia, the CEA has developed a series of three blind cell inspection robots or RICA robots (French abbreviation for 'Robot d'Inspection pour Cellules Aveugles'). RICA 1 and 2 are man-packable. They can be handled by one or two operators when they need to be inserted or retrieved from site, and were developed to investigate cells where access is a major issue. RICA 3 is man-portable. This enables it to carry a set of heavier, larger radiological detectors (dose rate sensor, gamma camera, gamma spectrometer). It is also possible to fit the RICA 3 with a remote arm so the operator can interact with the robot's environment. All three RICA robots use a cable tether rather than wireless linkup to avoid limiting possible inspection duration. In order to keep the number of lines to a minimum, the wires for high and low voltages are multiplexed in a single coaxial cable tether. Each of the platforms is fitted with a cable winder used to manage this coaxial cable. The three platforms all have identical piloting stations. (authors)