Fraunhofer IOSB and Bilfinger develop key technologies for the safe Retrieval of Radioactive Waste

As part of the SpectroNet network, we are pleased to share important news from our member Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB, whose expertise in robotics, sensor technologies, 3D perception, and automation is contributing to one of Germany’s most demanding environmental and safety projects.

Together with Bilfinger, Fraunhofer IOSB is developing a teleoperated retrieval system on behalf of the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE). The system is intended to support the safe, precise, and efficient retrieval of radioactive waste drums from the Asse II mine.

The retrieval of around 126,000 drums from Asse II is a highly complex generational task. The storage chambers are located several hundred meters underground in a damp, corrosive salt mine environment that has aged over decades. The conditions vary greatly: some drums are covered in salt, while others are freely accessible; some were originally stacked in an orderly manner, while others now lie in disarray. These circumstances require robust, precise, and remotely controllable machines that can operate reliably under extreme conditions.

Bilfinger is developing a specialized recovery system whose core element is a highly automated, multifunctional test excavator. This test platform will be equipped with dedicated tools such as specialized grippers, cutters, and buckets to handle the complex recovery processes.

Fraunhofer IOSB contributes its long-standing expertise in robotics, sensor fusion, 3D environmental perception, automation, and teleoperation. The institute draws, among other things, on its experience from the competence center “Robots for Decontamination in Hazardous Environments”, where teleoperated and autonomous construction machinery for hazardous environments is researched and developed.

A key aspect of the system is safe remote operation. Operators will be able to control the machinery from a protected control center, supported by advanced assistance functions and spatial orientation that goes far beyond conventional camera images. Technologies such as inverse kinematics allow tools to be positioned directly and intuitively, while the machine autonomously calculates the movement path. In the future, repetitive tasks — for example placing retrieved drums into transport containers — could also be automated.

Another important component is the use of a digital twin, which virtually replicates the recovery system and its environment. This enables operational states, movements, and load scenarios to be analyzed and optimized before real-world deployment. In addition, Bilfinger is simulating the challenging conditions of the salt mine in a complex test environment so that mechanics, sensors, and software can be precisely coordinated.

For the SpectroNet community, this project is a strong example of how advanced sensor technologies, robotics, image-based perception, and intelligent automation can contribute to safety-critical applications. The collaboration between Bilfinger and Fraunhofer IOSB demonstrates how industry and applied research can jointly develop solutions for challenges that go beyond the current state of the art.

At the same time, the technologies developed in this project may provide valuable expertise for other fields, including decontamination, maintenance, inspection, and intervention tasks in hazardous or hard-to-reach environments.

We congratulate Fraunhofer IOSB on this important contribution and look forward to following the further development of these forward-looking technologies.

For more information visit our Clusterpartner website.