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Nuclear energy

Advancements in Mobile Robots in Nuclear (MRiN): A Multidisciplinary Research Field

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Investigators at the University of South China have made significant findings in the field of mobile robots in nuclear (MRiN), a multidisciplinary research area that combines nuclear technology, robotic, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, and construction. The research, supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, Hunan Provincial Education Department, and the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China, has identified four research hotspots: design, protection, perception, and planning. These hotspots were identified through quantitative bibliometric analysis and subsequent qualitative discussions, which highlighted recent achievements and revealed research gaps in MRiN.

Key Takeaways:

  • The MRiN field has experienced significant advancements in the past two decades, with a hybrid methodology combining bibliometric analysis and qualitative discussion being proposed to explore these developments.
  • Four research hotspots were identified: design, protection, perception, and planning, which were analyzed through quantitative bibliometric analysis and subsequent qualitative discussions.
  • The research highlighted recent achievements and revealed research gaps in MRiN, with a total of five future research directions being proposed.
  • The five future research directions are: (1) in-depth integration of radiation information, BIM, with robotics; (2) novel approaches for locating radioactive sources in complex environments; (3) multi-objective optimization of shielding structures for sensitive components; (4) advanced multi-robot collaboration for concurrent operations; and (5) immersive digital twin technology combined with deep reinforcement learning for MRiN operations.
  • The research was conducted by investigators at the University of South China, with De Zhang, Guokai Xiong, Yan Jiang, Jun Liu, and Shuliang Zou contributing to the study.
  • The research has the potential to promote robotics technology and computer science in the nuclear industry, and has been peer-reviewed.

Statistics:

  • The MRiN field has experienced 20 years of advancement, with a total of five future research directions being proposed.
  • The five future research directions were identified through quantitative bibliometric analysis and subsequent qualitative discussions.
  • The research highlighted 4 research hotspots: design, protection, perception, and planning.
  • The study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, Hunan Provincial Education Department, and the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China.
  • The research has the potential to contribute to the development of robotics technology and computer science in the nuclear industry.

Sources:

  • Design, Protection, Perception and Planning of Mobile Robots In Nuclear Power Plants. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2025;186. doi: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.00.001
  • Progress in Nuclear Energy. Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Progress in Nuclear Energy - www.journals.elsevier.com/progress-in-nuclear-energy/)
  • University of South China. Sch Resource Environm & Safety Engn, Hengyang 421001, People's Republic of China.

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