In the high-risk environment of nuclear energy, the most valuable worker may soon be the one who doesn’t need to breathe.

AtkinsRéalis, a Canadian company, and the Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) have announced a global partnership to accelerate the deployment of autonomous robotics and Physical AI within the nuclear and energy sectors. 

The two groups are combining university research with engineering expertise to introduce advanced robots that can safely navigate and manage tasks in hazardous nuclear environments.

“As part of the University of Oxford, ORI combines robotics research capabilities with the engineering focus needed to develop technologies that meet demanding operational requirements. This partnership allows us to advance autonomous inspection and digital technologies that address real challenges across the nuclear industry,” said Professor Nick Hawes, Director, Oxford Robotics Institute, University of Oxford. 

Autonomous navigation and mapping for nuclear energy sites

The nuclear industry has long navigated a fundamental contradiction: the areas that demand the most precise care are often the ones where humans can survive the least time.

This is where Physical AI changes the equation. While most industrial robots are confined to repetitive, pre-programmed scripts, these advanced systems are designed to learn and adapt on the go.  

These robot systems possess the digital instincts to interpret shifting shadows, navigate unpredictable debris, and make decisions in pitch-black environments — turning hazardous isolation into an accessible workspace.

Notably, this collaboration hits the ground running, fueled by proven field experience at sites like Sellafield, where ORI systems have already mapped radiation hotspots and successfully negotiated debris. 

The partnership operates through a continuous cycle that begins with generating new ideas in Oxford’s advanced research labs. From there, these solutions enter a simulation phase, where AI-driven robots are trained within “digital twins”—perfect virtual replicas of nuclear plants.

Once these digital brains are battle-tested, AtkinsRéalis integrates them into industrial-grade robotic bodies, ready for deployment at energy facilities worldwide.

Ending the risk

The team will first scale successful technologies, such as mobile inspection platforms and robotic arms, by refining them in Oxford’s labs before full-scale deployment. 

“This partnership allows us to rapidly move autonomous robotics from research to operational deployment on nuclear power plants around the world. Working directly with the Oxford Robotics Institute’s teams means we can test solutions in their facilities, refine them based on real nuclear challenges, and deploy them across our international operations,” said Sam Stephens, Head of Digital – Nuclear at AtkinsRéalis.

“The result is safer working environments and better data to inform critical decisions on nuclear sites,” Stephens added. 

Using advanced sensors and robotic manipulation, these nuclear nomads can perform inspections and repairs that previously required massive protective gear and strict time limits. The result is better data, lower costs, and, most importantly, zero human exposure to extreme radiation.

With recent collaborations with tech titans like NVIDIA and hardware experts like Kinova, AtkinsRéalis is building an ecosystem where the next generation of energy is managed by machines that never tire and fear nothing, even the invisible glow of a reactor core.

In recent years, several advancements have been taking place to help robots work in nuclear facilities. For instance, the Institute of Science Tokyo announced that it had developed a radiation-hardened Wi-Fi receiver capable of functioning under doses 1,000 times higher than those tolerated by standard electronics.