Brew with the Crew: Digital Twins of Radioactive Environments: EV-Powered Robotics and Sensor Fusion in Inaccessible Zones
The brewing will begin at 4:45 with the topical discussion starting at 5:00 and ending at 5:45 to allow for post-presentation
conversations. The event will adjourn at 6:00. Finger food will be provided to keep the stomachs from growling.
Join us for the upcoming technical talk —attend in person at Stockman’s Restaurant or virtually via Microsoft Teams
Title:
Digital Twins of Radioactive Environments: EV-Powered Robotics and Sensor Fusion in Inaccessible Zones
Abstract:
Nuclear waste repositories present significant infrastructure monitoring challenges due to hazardous conditions and restricted human access. This talk presents the design, prototyping, and field deployment of an integrated mobile robotics platform developed for generating high-fidelity digital twins of inaccessible nuclear storage environments.
The system integrates an electric vehicle providing sustained field-deployable power and base station functionality, a quadruped robot capable of navigating confined and irregular terrain, and custom sensing and edge-computing modules incorporating 3D LiDAR, high-resolution visual cameras, and environmental monitoring sensors. Together, these components enable extended autonomous inspection missions across full operational shifts.
Post-processing algorithms fuse multi-modal sensor streams to produce accurate 3D digital twin models of facility structures, supporting remote visualization and condition assessment without personnel exposure. The platform has been validated through deployment at a Department of Energy nuclear waste storage facility, demonstrating reliable terrain traversal, comprehensive data acquisition, and accurate facility reconstruction.
The talk will also touch on lessons learned from real-world deployment and the broader applicability of this framework to hazardous site characterization and nuclear decommissioning operations. Questions and discussion welcome.
Speaker: Pengcheng Cao
Pengcheng Cao is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Physical Process Science & Realization group of the EES&T Department. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego and a Master's degree in Computer Science from Arizona State University. His research interests span robotics in hazardous environments, data-driven digital twin modeling, and control system stabilities. He has over 10 scientific publications and 6 contributed talks. While working at INL, he is also serving as the Professional Activities Chair of IEEE Eastern Idaho Section.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
-
Add Event to Calendar
Loading virtual attendance info...
- 1175 Pier View Dr
- Idaho Falls, Idaho
- United States 83402
- Contact Event Host
- Co-sponsored by INL-Idaho National Lab
- Starts 02 April 2026 10:00 PM UTC
- Ends 16 April 2026 10:00 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Visit the IEEE Eastern Idaho section website for additional information.