MIE.71 – Radioactive Material Handling System

• Karina Adan
• Arun Chennuru
• Anirudh Jayaram
• Evelyn Ochoa Arias
• Saul Ortiz
• Mansi Patel

The effects of radiation exposure on the human body have been studied for over a century, which can cause in terminal illnesses, such as cancer or even death. The studied impacts have been found to be influenced by radiation dosage, type of radiation, and exposure radiation. The risk of adverse health effects from radiation exposure is more significant in infants, children, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals. Although this project is primarily targeted towards Fermilab employees, radiation exposure can also afflict with others that were not in direct contact with radioactive material. Considering this, all exposure to radioactive material must be handled safely. This project’s scope involves simulating radiation testing on samples of two different geometries. One proposed solution uses a robotic manipulator (UR3e) to handle samples with a camera and a gripper attachment that performs pick-and-place operations. To avoid radiation exposure, temperature is used as a substitute for radiation. A two-station approach was implemented to read, categorize, and sort the samples. The sample is picked up from the starting position to be transported to a measuring station, containing a microcontroller connected to the UR3e that transmits signals and data of the samples. A temperature map is created from the data to display the sample’s surface temperature at various locations. The sample is then moved to the packaging station, where it is placed in a container corresponding to its respective temperature range. This simulation validates the project design specifications, as the samples will be autonomously handled by the UR3e to avoid human exposure and are placed in containers to avoid radiation contamination.