Swimming robot to probe damage at Fukushima nuclear plant

until it too dies because of the radiation

TEPCO is struggling with the plant's decommissioning, which is now expected to cost 8 trillion yen ($70 billion), four times an earlier estimate. Part of that cost will be included in Japanese utility bills.....The 2011 meltdown forced tens of thousands of nearby residents to evacuate their homes. Many are still unable to return due to high radiation levels.

What do either of these two paragraphs have to do with a robot? Right, keep pouring gas on the flames.

Perhaps they could refit it to swim through the Ministry of Education and find all those files about Kake that keep appearing and disappearing.

2 lights, a dosimeter, remote controlled, how much does it cost ? I am betting 1000x the price to build it... I am only seeing here TOSHIBA milking on the decommissioning cost with another useless remote controlled toy that will die like all the others, what is the difference this time that will make that toy to work at 1000 sieverts ? A break through new alien technology shielding ? I wish I could also tap on that unlimited money flowing in that Fukushima disaster.

I wish I could also tap on that unlimited money flowing in that Fukushima disaster.

A zombie company attempting to resuscitate a zombie industry using trillions of tax yen while the country disintegrates. What could be more emblematic of Japan in 2017 than this?

Well happy cooking of the robots

trying to sell more useless kids toys for other uses should use them for looking for water on the sun.

Cool. You have to start somewhere!

So if they aren't busy trying something to collect data and establish a plan they get pilloried for not doing enough and for milking the government money. But if they do try to collect data they also get pilloried for milking the money. Seems some people will never be happy.

@Alfie Noakes: nuclear industry isn't a "zombie industry". Do you know why? Because around the world there are more than 400 nuclear reactors. This means that even though new reactors won't be made anymore, the industry has to deal still with the decommissioning of hundreds of old reactors. If you think this is a "easy and cheap" business, that doesn't need further researchs and innovations, you are wrong. You should read more stuff related to this complex matter. Decommissioning nuclear reactors is very expensive, dangerous and complicated also when the reactors are not destroyed, and the experience in this specific field is still paradoxically small.

Even if that fails, they can sell that little robot for deep sea scientific research or even as a toy.

This means that even though new reactors won't be made anymore

Huh? There are a number of new reactors under construction right now. And more planned for construction within the next few years.

@Dom Palmer: I know it. What I meant to say is simply that also in the (improbable) case that someday new reactors won't be made anymore, there are still the old ones that need to be handled properly.