Robots Take Centre Stage in Rolls-Royce SMR Inspection Challenge

Five pioneering robotics organisations - working with Rolls-Royce SMR to help shape the future of autonomous inspection - have showcased their technologies during demonstration days at the ‘Experi’ facility in Sheffield.

The initiative, delivered with support from Innovate UK Business Connect through its Innovation Exchange (iX) programme, brought together small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and academia to showcase their cutting-edge solutions.

More than 40 organisations entered the challenge, after it opened earlier this year, with five finalists progressing to the demonstration stage: Amentum, Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI), Oxford Dynamics, Ross Robotics and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Rolls-Royce SMR hosted the iX Challenge demonstration days at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s Factory 2050, last month (August 20-21).

Greg Wilkinson, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Senior Research & Technology Manager, said: "Innovation and collaboration are central to how we are developing our ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plant, and the iX Challenge has brought together some of the most promising robotics technologies. Supported by Innovate UK Business Connect, the programme has helped identify solutions that could play an important role in future automated inspection activities across the Rolls-Royce SMR fleet."

Lia Au-Yeung, a Rolls-Royce SMR Research & Technology Engineer added: "During the two-day event, finalists demonstrated how their solutions could enhance safety, efficiency and data collection within a highly regulated operating environment. The technologies were assessed for their potential to support autonomous inspection capabilities, reducing the need for manual intervention while improving asset monitoring and maintenance planning."

Dr Dhinisa Patel, Innovate UK Business Connect’s Knowledge Transfer Manager said: "The iX programme is designed to accelerate collaboration between organisations with significant innovation challenges and businesses developing cutting-edge solutions. It has been fantastic to see the quality of technologies demonstrated through this challenge and the potential they have to support the future of clean energy infrastructure."

Following the demonstrations, Rolls-Royce SMR will continue its evaluation process, with a further update on the next phase of the challenge expected in the coming months. The winner could form part of Rolls-Royce SMR's future automated inspection approach, helping transform the way new nuclear power stations are delivered.

Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with Great British Energy – Nuclear to begin work delivering the UK’s first small modular reactors (SMRs) on Anglesey, North Wales - this was followed by an early works agreement with Czech utility company, ČEZ, to start early works on the country’s first SMR at Temelin. In June, Videberg Kraft selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its partner to deliver three SMRs on the Värö peninsula, on Sweden’s west coast.