Nuclear decommissioning remains a dificult problem to solve, particularly in structures not intended for dismantling. This article discusses two integrated projects, XS-ABILITY and DORADO, which are funded by the EU strategically towards improving the multi-robot systems integration and digital twin technologies towards nuclear decommissioning more robotic and safe. XS-Ability is centered on multi-robot systems as mobile radiation sensing platforms for advanced in situ characterization, while DORADO works on an ecosystem framework plan that integrates AI, BIM, and ontology tools for planning and optimization. These developments contribute to a broader initiative defined by a lower cued, more reliable, data-dependent framework toward nuclear decommissioning, risk reduction, and agile regulatory advancements where innovation is welcomed.
Europe is facing a critical phase in the lifecycle of its nuclear infrastructure, as a growing number of
facilities approach or exceed their operational lifetimes [
In this context, autonomous robotic systems have emerged as key enablers for safer and more eficient
operations [
To address these challenges holistically, the HADRON (Hazard-Aware Digitalization and Robotics in
Nuclear & Other Domains) concept was introduced by the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) [
Building on this foundation, the RoboDecom project [
CEUR
ceur-ws.org work for more advanced and interconnected systems that can respond to operational demands in the nuclear back-end.
This article presents two complementary EU-funded research projects — DORADO (Digital Twins
and Ontology for Robot Assisted Decommissioning Operations) [
XS-ABILITY focuses on the development and real-world deployment of multi-robot systems for in situ radiological characterization in hazardous and hard-to-access environments. The project emphasizes advanced sensing, sensor fusion, and collaborative autonomy to improve remote operations and minimize human exposure.
In parallel, DORADO seeks to establish a unified digital ecosystem that integrates artificial intelligence (AI), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and a domain-specific ontology within a digital twin framework. This approach supports planning, optimization, and knowledge management, while enhancing safety and eficiency through data-driven decision-making.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate how the convergence of robotic systems and digital twin technologies can significantly reduce operational risks, increase precision, and streamline waste handling and documentation. The following sections provide an in-depth exploration of each project, highlighting how their integrated solutions are shaping the future of nuclear decommissioning.
Nuclear decommissioning poses multifaceted challenges rooted in the complexity of dismantling aged infrastructure within highly regulated, hazardous environments. Most legacy facilities were not designed with deconstruction in mind, making dismantling operations particularly risky and technically complex. The principal challenges can be categorized as follows.
• Environmental Hazards [
These challenges necessitate the convergence of robotics, digital simulation, and intelligent decisionmaking to create resilient, adaptable systems capable of safe and eficient decommissioning.
The HADRON initiative [
The HADRON Lab serves as a testbed where ground and aerial robots perform advanced functions such as 3D scanning, SLAM-based mapping, radiation detection, and environmental modeling. These tasks are aligned with digital twin representations that simulate the physical environment and radiological conditions, enabling proactive planning and improved safety analysis. HADRON’s core value lies in enabling real-time feedback loops between the robot’s sensors and its digital twin, supporting adaptive decision-making and mission optimization.
As a precursor to larger-scale EU projects, RoboDecom focused on applying digital twin-based robotics to real-world decommissioning tasks. Conducted in collaboration with the OECD NEA and funded by the Research Council of Norway, RoboDecom emphasized safety-centered architecture, performance assessment, and remote task execution.
Robots such as Boston Dynamics’ Spot, Clearpath’s Jackal, and the nLink platform (see Figure 1) were deployed in realistic test scenarios to perform contamination mapping, swab sampling, material handling, and area scanning. The project demonstrated the feasibility of integrating semi-autonomous systems with digital twins for mission rehearsal, risk assessment, and operational planning, laying a technical and conceptual foundation for subsequent projects like DORADO and XS-ABILITY.
XS-ABILITY is a Horizon Europe EURATOM-funded project (2024–2027) that aims to develop and
demonstrate a new generation of advanced robotic systems for in-situ characterization of complex
and hazardous nuclear environments [
To address these goals, XS-ABILITY integrates a heterogeneous fleet of robots (see Figure 2), including ground-based platforms like Boston Dynamics’ Spot, Clearpath’s Jackal, and the SIGMA INGEGNERIA ROver, along with three aerial Elios drones developed by Flyability. These robots are equipped with compact, high-precision 3D LiDARs and radiation sensors, and are designed to collaboratively navigate unknown environments using advanced SLAM algorithms. The robotic fleet operates in coordination to autonomously and eficiently explore nuclear sites, minimizing mission duration while maximizing spatial coverage.
Following exploration, point cloud data from the various platforms is shared with a central server, enabling the generation of a highly detailed 3D digital representation of the environment. This collaborative data fusion approach enhances both mission planning and post-operation analysis, reinforcing the role of digital twins in improving accuracy, safety, and decision-making.
The consortium behind XS-ABILITY brings together 8 partners across 7 European countries, combining expertise in nuclear instrumentation, robotics, AI, and end-user needs. The project also aims to produce harmonized best practices and protocols for the deployment of multi-robot systems in indoor nuclear facilities, with strong potential for application in other sectors including nuclear maintenance, sensor technology, and CBRN-E defense.
DORADO builds a comprehensive digital platform to support a wide range of decommissioning activities
[
The data-driven architecture of the DORADO platform supports a range of critical functionalities essential for nuclear decommissioning. The platform enables eficient remote operation planning by simulating tasks and optimizing robot trajectories. Furthermore, it facilitates intelligent robot task allocation, ensuring that the right robot is assigned to the right job at the right time. Crucially, the system incorporates risk identification and ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable)-based dose estimation, allowing for proactive safety management. Finally, the platform features a user-friendly human-system interaction through smart voice assistants, simplifying operator control and enhancing overall eficiency and safety through hands-free report generation.
While XS-ABILITY and DORADO pursue distinct objectives, they are strategically complementary. XS-ABILITY emphasizes on-site robotic capability and sensor integration, while DORADO provides the digital infrastructure and semantic context to plan, optimize, and document these operations. When combined, the two projects demonstrate how tightly coupled physical and digital layers can transform nuclear decommissioning into a more autonomous, eficient, and safe process.
HADRON and RoboDecom serve as bridging initiatives that validate concepts and technologies at diferent scales. Together, the ecosystem formed by these initiatives advances the vision of a digital twin-enabled, robot-assisted decommissioning paradigm that is both technologically robust and aligned with regulatory and industrial needs.
As Europe intensifies its eforts to safely decommission nuclear facilities, the integration of digital twinenabled robotic systems marks a decisive step toward a more intelligent and secure operational model. HADRON has laid the conceptual and technical foundation, while RoboDecom demonstrated feasibility in operational contexts. XS-ABILITY and DORADO now push the frontiers further, developing and integrating multi-robot systems within intelligent digital ecosystems. Collectively, these initiatives ofer a transformative roadmap for the nuclear sector, where digital intelligence and robotics converge to ensure safety, eficiency, and sustainability in dismantling the nuclear legacy.
The XS-Ability and DORADO projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe EURATOM Research & Innovation program under grant agreement numbers 101166392 and 101165990, respectively. Additionally, both projects are supported by the Research Council of Norway under the International Calls International Collaborative Project, with project numbers 345806 for XS-Ability and 356887 for DORADO.
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