ROVENSO (led by Rewired advisor Thomas Estier) Wins 2nd Prize at the IAEA Nuclear Decommissioning Competition

Rewired is a robotics-focused venture studio.

We are happy to announce that Thomas Estier’s company, ROVENSO, has won 2nd prize at the IAEA Nuclear Decommissioning Competition. The competition, held in Brisbane from the 20th to 24th of November, featured ten carefully selected participants. Each team was challenged to produce robots that assist IAEA experts during inspections of nuclear sites.

As the competition description details, “some of the most common tasks undertaken by the IAEA inspectors involve making repetitive measurements in areas that can be difficult to access, or with elevated radiation levels. This is a domain where robotics could play a role, not only to improve the working conditions of the inspectors but also to enhance the consistency of the IAEA measurements.”

ROVENSO’s choice to participate was an obvious one. A Swiss startup of EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Thomas has worked with his team to develop agile robots operable in complex scenarios, combining remoter operated tasks and automated process. This includes manipulation of heavy payloads, operations in harsh environments, and maintenance of assets in challenging terrains.

The potential of robotics to overcome some of today’s greatest challenges is just being realized. Just this month, robots finally found the reactors’ melted Uranium fuel in Fukushima, six years after the event.

IAEA’s competition is the perfect example of leveraging advancements in robotics to uncover new tools and methods, and inviting the community to participate in something that is both technologically challenging and beneficial to society at large. Thomas and his team are more than deserving of this accolade.