Atkins and COVVI to develop robotic bionic hand for nuclear sector

Atkins- a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group- and prosthetic hand developer COVVI have signed an agreement to develop a robotic solution that delivers near-human dexterity, for use in nuclear environments. 

Building on Atkins’ patented work to deploy collaborative robots in the nuclear sector, the two firms will adapt COVVI’s bionic hand, originally developed for people with an upper limb difference. The hand, or ‘end effector’, will be attached to a robotic arm and enable workers to perform dangerous manipulations remotely, even when a high level of dexterity is required. The innovative product will be integrated into Atkins’ collaborative robotic solutions in the nuclear sector, including its use in glovebox operations to handle nuclear materials and waste, removing the need for operators to place hands in gloveboxes.

The use of a bionic hand and application of COVVI’s expertise in biomimicry is expected to significantly increase durability and functionality compared to existing solutions while more closely replicating human dexterity. The remote control of robotics (teleoperation) will reduce the presence of humans in hazardous areas and enable glovebox operations to continue over longer periods of time, reducing risk and speeding up project delivery, as well as freeing up time for site operators to focus on other high priority, skilled activity.

Sam Stephens, Head of Digital, Nuclear, SNC-Lavalin, said, “Robotics hold huge potential for the nuclear sector and we expect their use to become increasingly common over the coming decade as the industry seeks to improve safety, increase efficiency and address increasing skills shortages. 

“Working with COVVI to reconfigure their bionic hand for teleoperation combines our knowledge of nuclear, digital and robotics capabilities with COVVI’s expertise and world-leading prosthetics. It’s an example of how collaboration is crucial to help accelerate innovation and bring forward new solutions that address some of the sector’s biggest challenges swiftly and cost-effectively. The new robotic hand has the potential to reduce risk and improve productivity for the nuclear operators that we work with in partnership with around the world, and we look forward to seeing it deliver results soon.”

Simon Pollard, Group CEO at COVVI, said; “We are delighted to have finalised this partnership and share our plans to expand into the robotics market. 

“The robotics market continues to develop at pace as it becomes more affordable, scalable, and customisable. With over 5 years developing our own world-leading, multi-articulated bionic hand, COVVI was Atkins’ preferred choice to partner with to introduce this state-of-the-art technology to the nuclear sector. We are excited about the opportunity to develop and implement innovative solutions to create safer, more efficient processes in hazardous environments intrinsic to the nuclear industry”

The two firms have been working together for the last six months to develop the integration between the robotic hand and collaborative robots such as Kinova’s Gen3 arm that Atkins uses to work in gloveboxes. Alongside this new solution, Atkins is also developing a digital twin to rehearse and pre-plan glovebox activity to increase efficiency. 

Having collaborated on research and development over the course of 2022, COVVI and Atkins will now jointly develop and market a new variant of the COVVI Hand, optimised to meet the demanding requirements of the nuclear sector. More information about the COVVI Hand can be found at https://www.covvi-robotics.com/, and a recently published paper on the increasing role of digital technologies in the nuclear sector by Atkins is available here. 

Notes to editors

About Atkins

Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 19,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. We build long-term trusted partnerships to create a world where lives are enriched through the implementation of our ideas. You can view Atkins’ recent projects here.

About SNC-Lavalin

Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital – and delivered to clients in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital. News and information are available at snclavalin.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About COVVI

With over 75 years of combined experience in prosthetic design; COVVI’s dedicated team has spent the last five years creating a world-leading, multi-articulated bionic hand that is both highly functional and accessible. Our visionary team is proud to have delivered a ground-breaking device that establishes a new level of quality and performance by utilising premium materials and cutting-edge design. We are now introducing COVVI Robotics, bringing the ground-breaking COVVI Hand to the robotics sector. We provide a state-of-the-art multi-articulated hand, with the ability to complete complex manipulation tasks. Our clients are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we are passionate about delivering a first-class customer experience wherever we can. We are honoured to continue and adapt our work for the robotics sector, to provide an outstanding product for our clients.