Ice Nine Ltd unveils next-gen UAV technology for confined nuclear inspections

Ice Nine Ltd has successfully demonstrated its latest Micro UAV technology at Sellafield’s Centre of Excellence, showcasing significant progress in a second Game Changers proof-of-concept (PoC) project focused on drone deployment into confined and hazardous nuclear environments. 

The live demonstration, attended by over 25 Sellafield stakeholders, was part of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Confined Spaces challenge. The challenge, launched in 2022, seeks a solution to access and inspect legacy nuclear infrastructure via extremely restricted access points, typically 140mm diameter ports built into metre-thick concrete walls. 

During the event, Ice Nine's improved system deployed a tetherless micro drone through both vertical and horizontal 140mm access pipes into a pitch-black, fully enclosed test cell designed to replicate conditions at Sellafield. Operated entirely beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), the drone performed a stable and controlled flight in the GPS-denied and cluttered environment, capturing high-quality video footage of mock infrastructure before safely landing in a retrieval mechanism.

Luke Henley, a pilot from the Sellafield UAV team, flew the drone and praised its responsiveness and flight stability, particularly in the challenging mock-up environment. “It’s incredibly impressive – much more stable and agile than anything we’ve tested at this size before,” he said. 

This second PoC builds upon earlier trials and introduces a newly designed, lighter and more compact drone platform. It features improved battery life, now exceeding six minutes, along with a completely redesigned deployment mechanism that is simpler, more robust, and better suited for expected conditions. The drone’s autonomous capabilities and manoeuvrability make it ideal for conducting visual inspections, monitoring assets, and supporting pre-decommissioning surveys in areas unsafe or inaccessible for human operators. The technology is unique in being able to access these confined environments and survey the whole cell from different angles.

Ice Nine’s solution addresses a critical need for Sellafield Ltd, to safely and efficiently gather information from inside legacy nuclear cells without exposing workers to hazardous environments. The goal is to integrate the drone system into regular UAV operations at Sellafield, becoming a standard tool in the wider decommissioning effort. 

Amanda Smith, UAV Equipment Engineer - Programme Lead at Sellafield Ltd, said “The progress we’ve seen through this Game Changers project with Ice Nine Ltd is a fantastic example of how collaboration and innovation can directly benefit our mission at Sellafield. This next-generation UAV technology could transform how we inspect and gather intelligence from some of our most challenging and hazardous legacy environments, reducing the cost of asset monitoring, as well as having the potential to benefit industries outside nuclear.”

The demonstration marks another step forward in the Game Changers programme’s mission to accelerate innovation and provide safer, more effective methods for nuclear site management.