New “Camdroid” technology promises breakthrough in inspection of inaccessible nuclear infrastructure

Successful demonstration at RAICo in Whitehaven marks end of Game Changers proof of concept phase and start of new era in asset inspection at Sellafield.

A pioneering new technology, developed through a collaborative effort between Warrington-based Ice Nine Ltd and Bristol-based Design Driven Solutions Ltd (DDS), has been successfully demonstrated, showcasing a major leap forward in the remote inspection of nuclear infrastructure. The solution, known as Camdroid, was unveiled at a live demonstration to stakeholders from Sellafield Ltd and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) facility.

The demonstration marked the culmination of a Game Changers proof of concept project, launched to solve Sellafield’s challenge of performing detailed asset inspections through narrow 19mm diameter access ports in heavily shielded and congested environments. Existing technologies, including borescopes, have long struggled with poor image quality, limited fields of view, and unreliable repeatability – making effective inspection of critical infrastructure difficult or impossible.

Sellafield’s challenge, posed through the Game Changers innovation programme, attracted interest from multiple organisations. Following promising feasibility studies, challenge owners recommended combining the strengths of proposals from DDS and Ice Nine into a unified solution – a decision that has borne impressive results.

Over the past 12 months, the two companies have worked closely to develop a full prototype of Camdroid – a compact, articulated inspection camera based on modern smartphone camera technology. The device is capable of delivering high-resolution images and video from within large and complex tank rooms, accessed only through tiny 19mm ports in concrete walls up to a metre thick.

What sets Camdroid apart from traditional inspection tools is its articulated end, allowing the camera to be manoeuvred once inside the target area. Combined with a bespoke user interface, users can intuitively control the camera’s movement and capture visual data. The modular design allows the camera head to be swapped or upgraded without replacing the entire system – offering both flexibility and cost efficiency.

Lighting, often a limiting factor in small inspection devices, is addressed with a unique combination of high-powered LEDs and advanced sensors, ensuring that even in the darkest, most inaccessible environments, Camdroid delivers clear, actionable visual data.

David Hargreaves, Technical Specialist at Sellafield Ltd, said ‘Camdroid provides a significant step change for inspection capability at Sellafield Ltd. Not only will it provide improved inspections, in terms of coverage and quality, in the area that the challenge was focussed on, but it also opens up multiple inspection opportunities across the Sellafield Ltd organisation and the wider NDA estate. Following on from the demonstration, some minor development work will allow Camdroid to be deployed through fifty 19mm inspection ports later this financial year. The output from these inspections (and those expected in the future) will provide greater confidence in site assets, supporting longer plant longevity, as well as providing the opportunity to proactively respond to any potential issues.’

‘It was a great project to be involved in.’ said Bart Dworzanski from Driven Solutions Ltd. ‘Support from challenge owners at Sellafield and guidance from FIS360 has been instrumental in developing this high-resolution imaging system. Feedback received after the demo was very positive, opening potentially further development to meet similar challenges across multiple areas. We are looking forward to continuing the collaboration with Ice Nine in taking this product to the next level.’

Matthew Nancekievill, Co-founder and CEO of Ice Nine Ltd, commented ‘Camdroid is a step change in currently available technology to inspect spaces through small access ports. Engaging with Sellafield throughout this challenge has been invaluable in directing the evolution of Camdroid, making sure our technology solves a real-world problem.’

The end of the Game Changers proof of concept phase marks just the beginning for Camdroid. With its promising performance, it is expected to move into further development and deployment phases, potentially transforming inspection capabilities across the UK’s nuclear sector.