Radiation dosimetry method

Abstract

To provide a radiation dosimetry method that can obtain a measurement value high in reproducibility of a surface dose or air dose within a measurement object area, while suppressing radiation exposure of a measurement worker.SOLUTION: A radiation dosimetry method comprises: a dose measurement step in which a robot 1 loading a radiation sensor 3a moves within a measurement object area A, and adjusts a height from a ground surface G of the radiation sensor 3a, and a radiation dose at a measurement point P within the measurement object area A is measured by the radiation sensor 3a; a sensor position information acquisition step in which sensor position information on a three-dimensional position of the radiation sensor 3a is acquired that includes information on a height from the ground surface of the radiation sensor 3a at a time of measuring the radiation dose in the dose measurement step; and a measurement value recording step in which information on the measurement value of the radiation dose obtained in the dose measurement step is recorded in association with the sensor position information obtained in the sensor position information acquisition step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a radiation dosimetry method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when construction work is carried out at a site where radiation levels are high, it is necessary to grasp the radiation level at the site in order to plan the work in advance. For example, at a plurality of locations within a specified measurement target area at the site, the surface dose measured close to the ground and the air dose measured at a specified height from the ground are measured. In this measurement work, for example, a measurement worker enters the measurement target area with a portable radiation dose measuring device and measures at each location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-185967 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above method, the measurement operator is exposed to a certain amount of radiation. In addition, to measure the surface dose and the air dose, the measurement operator must hold the measuring instrument in his / her hand at a specified height from the ground, but in order to reduce radiation exposure, the measurement operator cannot spend much time adjusting the height of the measuring instrument as described above. Therefore, the height of the measuring instrument during measurement is often adjusted by eyeballing, and as a result, the measured value is not necessarily highly reproducible. As a technology for reducing the exposure of the measurement operator, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile dosimetry device. However, this mobile dosimetry device measures the amount of radiation emitted from a radiation source by imaging the radiation source, and it is difficult to measure the air dose at a specified height from the ground.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a radiation dose measurement method that can obtain highly reproducible measured values ​​of surface dose and air dose within a measurement target area while suppressing radiation exposure of a measurement operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the present invention lies in the following [1] to

[11] .

[0007] [1] A radiation dose measurement method comprising: a dose measurement process in which an unmanned mobile robot equipped with a radiation sensor moves within a measurement target area and adjusts the height of the radiation sensor from the ground to measure the radiation dose at a predetermined measurement point within the measurement target area with the radiation sensor; a sensor position information acquisition process in which sensor position information regarding the three-dimensional position of the radiation sensor, including information regarding the height of the radiation sensor from the ground when the radiation dose is measured in the dose measurement process, is acquired; and a measurement value recording process in which information regarding the measurement value of the radiation dose obtained in the dose measurement process is recorded in association with the sensor position information obtained in the sensor position information acquisition process.

[0008] [2] The radiation dose measurement method described in [1], in which the dose measurement process, the sensor position information acquisition process, and the measurement value recording process are performed at a plurality of measurement points within the measurement target area, and a distribution of radiation doses within the measurement target area is obtained based on information regarding the accumulated measurement values ​​of the radiation doses at each of the measurement points.

[0009] [3] A radiation dose measurement method described in [1] or [2], wherein the unmanned mobile robot is equipped with an environmental sensor that measures environmental information other than the radiation dose, and the method further includes an environmental information measurement process in which the environmental information is measured by the environmental sensor while the unmanned mobile robot moves within the measurement target area.

[0010] [4] The radiation dose measurement method described in [3], wherein the environmental information includes at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen concentration, carbon monoxide concentration, and dust concentration.

[0011] [5] A radiation dose measurement method described in any one of [1] to [4], wherein the unmanned mobile robot has a mobile main body that moves within the measurement target area, and a movable arm that is attached to the mobile main body and has the radiation sensor installed thereon, and in the dose measurement process, the unmanned mobile robot moves to the vicinity of the measurement point by driving the mobile main body, and adjusts the height position of the radiation sensor by driving the movable arm to hold the radiation sensor at the measurement point.

[0012] [6] The radiation dose measurement method described in [5], wherein the mobile main body comprises a torso to which the movable arm is attached and a plurality of legs extending from the torso, and is capable of walking with the plurality of legs on the ground, and in the sensor position information acquisition process, information regarding the height of the radiation sensor from the ground is acquired from the sensor position information based on the rotation angles of each joint included in the torso, the legs, and the movable arm.

[0013] [7] A radiation dose measurement method described in [5] or [6], wherein in the sensor position information acquisition process, information on the planar position of the radiation sensor is acquired from the sensor position information by a GPS device mounted on the unmanned mobile robot.

[0014] [8] A radiation dose measuring method according to any one of [5] to [7], wherein the movable arm is provided with a radiation dose measuring device having the radiation sensor and a measurement value display unit that displays the radiation dose measured by the radiation sensor, and a camera that images the measurement value display unit, and in the measurement value recording process, imaging information obtained from the camera is recorded as information relating to the measurement value of the radiation dose.

[0015] [9] A radiation dose measurement method described in any one of [1] to [8], wherein the unmanned mobile robot can be operated by remote control or remote guidance, and the unmanned mobile robot further comprises a radio wave device installation step of installing radio wave devices that relay or transmit radio waves for remote control or remote guidance at points along the movement of the unmanned mobile robot.

[0016]

[10] A radiation dose measuring method described in any one of [1] to [9], further comprising a marking step in which the unmanned mobile robot constructs a predetermined marker at its current location when the amount of radiation measured by the radiation sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0017]

[11] A radiation dosage measurement method in which an unmanned mobile robot equipped with a radiation sensor is used to measure the amount of radiation at a predetermined measurement point within a measurement target area, the unmanned mobile robot having a mobile main body having a torso and a plurality of legs extending from the torso, and a movable arm attached to the torso and on which the radiation sensor is installed, the unmanned mobile robot walks with the plurality of legs on the ground while recognizing its current position using positioning information from a GPS device installed on the unmanned mobile robot, and reaches a predetermined horizontal position, the unmanned mobile robot drives the movable arm to adjust the height of the radiation sensor from the ground, thereby holding the radiation sensor at the position of the measurement point, and the radiation dosage is measured by the radiation sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a radiation dose measurement method that can obtain highly reproducible measured values ​​of surface dose and air dose within a measurement target area while suppressing radiation exposure of a measurement operator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a measurement target area in which a radiation dose measurement method according to an embodiment is performed; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a robot and a user terminal used in the radiation dose measurement method according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart of a radiation dose measurement method according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the robot in a marking process, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the robot in a radio device installation process. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a robot in a modified example of the radiation dose measurement method, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a robot in another modified example of the radiation dose measurement method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, a radiation dose measurement method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment measures radiation doses at a plurality of measurement points P set in advance within a predetermined measurement target area A of a construction site where radiation doses are high. Such radiation dose measurement is performed, for example, once a day before construction work begins in the measurement target area A.

[0021] Here, a surface dose measured at a measurement point P closest to the ground G and an air dose measured at a measurement point P at a predetermined height from the ground G are obtained. In this embodiment, three types of points are set as the measurement point P: a "measurement point P1" which is a measurement point for the above-mentioned surface dose, and "measurement points P2" and "measurement points P3" which are measurement points for the above-mentioned air dose. The measurement point P1 for the surface dose is set at a position 50 mm high from the ground G, the measurement point P2 for the air dose is set at a position 500 mm high from the ground G, and the measurement point P3 for the air dose is set at a position 1200 mm high from the ground G. The radiation doses are measured at a large number of measurement points P set within the measurement target area A, and the measurement values ​​are tallied to obtain the distribution of radiation doses within the measurement target area A.

[0022] In the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment, a quadruped robot 1 (unmanned mobile robot) is equipped with a radiation dose measurement device 3, and this robot 1 moves within a measurement target area A. The robot 1 is operated by wireless remote control or remote guidance, and can perform operations such as walking within the measurement target area A and holding the mounted radiation dose measurement device 3 at a desired height position within space. A measurement operator J carrying a user terminal 2 can remotely control or remotely guide the robot 1 through the user terminal 2 to perform the above-mentioned operations. As such a robot 1, for example, a commercially available quadruped robot such as "SPOT" manufactured by Boston Dynamics may be adopted.

[0023] The measurement operator J who operates the user terminal 2 can move away from the robot 1 within a range where radio waves for remote control or remote guidance can effectively reach (for example, about 30 m) and remotely control or remotely guide the robot 1 while visually checking it from outside the measurement target area A. The measurement operator J can also remotely control or remotely guide the robot 1 while checking the surroundings of the robot 1 using images sent to the user terminal 2 from a camera equipped in the robot 1. The measurement operator J can also remotely control or remotely guide the robot 1 while checking the surroundings of the robot 1 using images sent to the user terminal 2 from an overhead camera 4 that overlooks the measurement target area A. Such an overhead camera 4 may be installed within the measurement target area A or in the surrounding area of ​​the measurement target area A, or may be mounted on a drone 8 that flies above the measurement target area A. The method of mounting the overhead camera 4 on the drone 8 is preferable in that it does not require the construction work of installing the overhead camera 4 in advance within the measurement target area A or in the surrounding area of ​​the measurement target area A, and thus it is possible to avoid human exposure due to this construction work.

[0024] By using the unmanned mobile robot as described above, there is almost no opportunity for the measurement operator J to enter the measurement target area A, reducing radiation exposure of the measurement operator J. Furthermore, if there are steps or obstacles within the measurement target area A, it may be difficult for a robot that runs on wheels or crawlers to move, but the walking robot 1 can easily move within the measurement target area A even when there are steps or obstacles.

[0025] The configurations of the robot 1 and the user terminal 2 used in the radiation dosimetry method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0026] The user terminal 2 functions as a controller for remotely controlling or guiding the robot 1 as described above, and also functions as a calculation device that processes information based on information collected by the robot 1. The user terminal 2 has a calculation unit 2a such as a CPU that performs calculations, a storage unit 2b such as an SDD that stores information, a display unit 2c such as a display that displays information on a screen, an input unit 2d such as a keyboard or touch panel that accepts input operations by the measurement operator J, and a communication unit 2e that performs wireless communication with the robot 1. For example, a laptop computer or a tablet computer that is easy for the measurement operator J to carry is used as the user terminal 2. The input unit 2d may be equipped with a controller device or the like equipped with physical operation buttons or physical operation levers to facilitate remote control or remote guidance of the robot 1.

[0027] The robot 1 comprises a mobile main body 5 that walks within a measurement target area A, a movable arm 7 provided on the mobile main body 5, and a control device 40 that comprehensively controls the operation of the robot 1. The mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7 are each multi-joint robots having a large number of various joints 6, and are operated by motors (not shown) for driving each joint 6 being driven under the control of the control device 40. The control device 40 is, for example, a computer, and is built into the torso 11 of the mobile main body 5.

[0028] The mobile main body 5 includes the above-mentioned trunk 11 and four legs 13 extending downward from positions near the four corners of the trunk 11. The trunk 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped extending in the front-rear direction, and the upper surface of the trunk 11 functions as a platform 12 for placing measuring instruments, tools, materials, etc. Each leg 13 has an upper leg 13a and a lower leg 13b. The upper leg 13a is movably connected to the trunk 11 via a joint 6, and the lower leg 13b is movably connected to the upper leg 13a via a joint 6. The mobile main body 5 places the lower end of each leg 13 (the lower end of each lower leg 13b) on the ground G, and walks on the ground G by operating the legs 13 in a predetermined manner under the control of the control device 40. A non-slip pad made of, for example, rubber is attached to the lower end of the lower leg 13b that comes into contact with the ground G.

[0029] The movable arm 7 is, for example, a vertical articulated robot arm, and is provided on the front upper surface of the torso 11. The movable arm 7 has a clipper 23 as an end effector. The clipper 23 has a movable claw 23a, and can grip and release an object with the movable claw 23a. The movable arm 7 operates under the control of the control device 40, and can adjust the position of the clipper 23 relative to the torso 11 in three dimensions, and can grip and release an object located at a desired three-dimensional position. The radiation dosimeter 3 is attached to the clipper 23, and therefore, the movable arm 7 can adjust the position of the radiation dosimeter 3 relative to the torso 11 in three dimensions.

[0030] In order to control the movements of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7, all of the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7 are provided with angle sensors 29 that measure the rotation angles of the joints 6 in real time. The angle sensors 29 detect the rotation angles of the joints 6 and transmit the rotation angle information as an electric signal to the control device 40. Such rotation angle information is used by the control device 40 for feedback control of the motors of each joint 6.

[0031] The body camera 31 is provided on the front, rear, right side, and left side of the torso 11. The clipper 23 of the movable arm 7 also has an arm camera 33 built in for capturing an image of the area in front of the clipper 23. The arm camera 33 is located behind the movable claw 23a of the clipper 23, and captures an image of the area in front of the clipper 23 through the gap between the movable claw 23a. The cameras 31 and 33 may be stereo cameras. The surroundings of the robot 1 are captured by the cameras 31 and 33, and the captured image data is transmitted to the control device 40 in real time. The captured image data is further transmitted to the user terminal 2 by the communication function of the control device 40. The captured image data is then displayed on the display unit 2c of the user terminal 2, and is used for remote control or remote guidance of the robot 1 by the measurement operator J, as described above. Similarly, the captured image data from the overhead camera 4 (FIG. 1), which is used for remote control or remote guidance of the robot 1, is also displayed on the display unit 2c of the user terminal 2.

[0032] In addition to the radiation dosimeter 3, the robot 1 is equipped with an environmental sensor 35 that measures environmental information other than the radiation dose. The environmental sensor 35 is disposed, for example, on the loading platform 12 of the torso 11. The environmental sensor 35 has, for example, a temperature sensor that measures temperature, a humidity sensor that measures humidity, an oxygen concentration sensor that measures oxygen concentration, a carbon monoxide concentration sensor that measures carbon monoxide concentration, and a dust concentration sensor that measures dust concentration. It is not essential that the environmental sensor 35 has all of the above types of sensors. That is, the environmental sensor 35 may have at least one of the above types of sensors, or may have a combination of any two or more of the above types of sensors. The measured values ​​of each environmental information by the environmental sensor 35 are transmitted to the control device 40, and further transmitted to the user terminal 2 by the communication function of the control device 40.

[0033] The robot 1 is also equipped with a GPS device 37. The GPS device 37 is disposed, for example, on the loading platform 12 of the torso 11. Positioning information obtained by the GPS device 37 is transmitted to the control device 40, and the control device 40 recognizes the current position of the robot 1 based on the positioning information. The robot 1 is also equipped with an integrating dosimeter 39. The integrating dosimeter 39 is disposed, for example, on the side of the torso 11.

[0034] A series of operations of the robot 1, such as the walking movement of the mobile main body 5, the movement of the movable arm 7, the imaging by the cameras 31, 33, the measurement of environmental information by the environmental sensor 35, the positioning by the GPS device 37, and the wireless communication with the user terminal 2, as described above, are all performed under the control of the control device 40.

[0035] A mounting structure for mounting the radiation dosimeter 3 to the clipper 23 of the movable arm 7 will be described. A jig 47 extending forward from the clipper 23 is mounted on the clipper 23. The base end of the jig 47 is fixed to the clipper 23, and the radiation dosimeter 3 is fitted and fixed in a holder provided at the tip of the jig 47. The radiation dosimeter 3 is disposed further forward than the movable claw portion 23a. Such a jig 47 is made of resin, for example, and may be produced by a 3D printer. Note that the function of the clipper 23 to grip / release an object may be disabled by installing such a jig 47 and the radiation dosimeter 3.

[0036] The radiation dosimeter 3 is a relatively small portable radiation dosimeter, and includes a radiation sensor 3a built into a housing, and a measurement value display unit 3b that displays the radiation dose measured based on the radiation detected by the radiation sensor 3a. The measurement value display unit 3b is, for example, a display device that displays the numerical value of the measurement value of the radiation dose on a screen. The shape and dimensions of the jig 47 are adjusted so that the measurement value display unit 3b is included within the angle of view of the arm camera 33 described above. Therefore, the measurement value display unit 3b is always imaged in a part of the screen of the arm camera 33, that is, the measurement value of the radiation dose measured by the radiation dosimeter 3 is always imaged.

[0037] Next, a radiation dose measurement method executed using the robot 1 as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment. The radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment includes a dose measurement step S101, a sensor position information acquisition step S103, a measurement value recording step S105, and a dose distribution creation step S107, which will be described next.

[0038] (Dose measurement process S101) In the dose measurement step S101, as shown in Fig. 1, the robot 1 is moved within the measurement target area A by the driving of the mobile main body 5 under remote control or remote guidance by the measurement operator J, and arrives near a predetermined measurement point P. Then, the height position of the radiation dosimeter 3 fixed to the clipper 23 is adjusted by driving the movable arm 7 of the robot 1, and the radiation dosimeter 3 is held at the position of the measurement point P. Here, for example, when measuring the surface dose at the measurement point P1, the tip of the movable arm 7 is lowered diagonally downward in front of the torso 11, and the radiation dosimeter 3 is lowered to a height of 50 mm from the ground G. Also, for example, when measuring the air dose at the measurement point P3, the tip of the movable arm 7 is raised diagonally upward in front of the torso 11, and the radiation dosimeter 3 is raised to a height of 1200 mm from the ground G.

[0039] Then, radiation at the measurement point P is detected by the radiation sensor 3a of the radiation dosimetry device 3 held at the measurement point P, and the measurement value of the radiation dose is displayed on the measurement value display unit 3b. At this time, imaging data including the measurement value display unit 3b displaying the measurement value (hereinafter referred to as "measurement value imaging data") is acquired by the arm camera 33 and wirelessly transmitted from the control device 40 to the user terminal 2. The measurement value imaging data may be still image data.

[0040] (Sensor position information acquisition process S103) In the sensor position information acquisition step S103, three-dimensional position information of the radiation sensor 3a during radiation dose measurement in the dose measurement step is acquired. Specifically, when the measurement value imaging data is acquired, the control device 40 recognizes the planar position of the radiation sensor 3a based on the positioning information obtained from the GPS device 37.

[0041] As described above, the control device 40 receives rotation angle information from the angle sensors 29 of all the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7 as information for controlling the operation of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7, and recognizes the rotation angles of all the joints 6 based on this rotation angle information. Here, when the robot 1 is placed at a predetermined location within the measurement target area A, if the rotation angles of all the joints 6 included in the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7 are known, the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G is uniquely determined. Therefore, the control device 40 recognizes the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G by performing a predetermined calculation based on the rotation angle information of all the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7.

[0042] The positioning information by the GPS device 37 described above indicates the planar position of the GPS device 37 itself, and differs from the planar position of the radiation sensor 3a. Therefore, the planar position obtained from the positioning information may be corrected by a predetermined calculation based on the rotation angle information of all or some of the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7.

[0043] As described above, in the sensor position information acquisition process, the control device 40 recognizes the planar position of the radiation sensor 3a based on the positioning information from the GPS device 37, and recognizes the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G based on the rotation angle information of all the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7. In other words, the control device 40 obtains three-dimensional position information of the radiation sensor 3a. The control device 40 transmits the three-dimensional position information of the radiation sensor 3a obtained as described above (hereinafter referred to as "sensor position information") to the user terminal 2.

[0044] (Measurement value recording process S105) As described above, the measurement value imaging data at the measurement point P and three-dimensional position information (sensor position information) of the radiation sensor 3a at the time when this measurement value imaging data was acquired are transmitted to the user terminal 2. Then, in this measurement value recording step S105, the measurement value imaging data and the sensor position information are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 2b of the user terminal 2. Note that, as information regarding the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground surface G in the sensor position information, rotation angle information of all the joints 6 of the mobile main body unit 5 and the movable arm 7 may be transmitted from the control device 40 to the user terminal 2, and this rotation angle information may be stored in the storage unit 2b.

[0045] (Repeat) The above dose measurement step S101, sensor position information acquisition step S103, and measurement value recording step S105 are repeated (S106 in FIG. 3) while the robot 1 moves sequentially to each measurement point P in the measurement target area A. Then, when the above steps are completed for all measurement points P in the measurement target area A, the memory unit 2b of the user terminal 2 stores measurement value image data (information on the measurement value of the radiation dose) for each measurement point P in association with the sensor position information.

[0046] (Dose distribution creation process S107) After that, in the dose distribution creation step S107, the calculation unit 2a of the user terminal 2 recognizes the distribution of radiation doses in the measurement target area A based on information on the radiation dose measurement values ​​for each of the many measurement points P stored in the storage unit 2b. Here, since the information on the radiation dose measurement values ​​stored in the storage unit 2b is measurement value imaging data, which is image information, an image recognition process of the measurement value imaging data is executed by the calculation unit 2a, and the image of the measurement value on the measurement value display unit 3b is converted into numerical data indicating the radiation dose measurement value and recognized. The process of converting the measurement value imaging data into numerical data may be executed manually by the measurement operator J or the like. The process of converting the measurement value imaging data into numerical data may also be executed before storing in the storage unit 2b. In this case, the radiation dose measurement value at the measurement point P is stored in the storage unit 2b as numerical data in association with the three-dimensional position information of the measurement point P.

[0047] In the dose distribution creation step S107, a surface dose distribution is obtained based on the three-dimensional position coordinates and radiation dose measurement values ​​of a large number of measurement points P1 in the measurement target area A. Also, a spatial dose distribution at a height of 500 mm from the ground G is obtained based on the three-dimensional position coordinates and radiation dose measurement values ​​of a large number of measurement points P2 in the measurement target area A. Also, a spatial dose distribution at a height of 1200 mm from the ground G is obtained based on the three-dimensional position coordinates and radiation dose measurement values ​​of a large number of measurement points P3 in the measurement target area A. The calculation unit 2a may convert the obtained surface dose distribution and spatial dose distribution into visual information such as a contour diagram and display it on the display unit 2c.

[0048] If the radiation dose measurement method as described above is repeated on the following day or later, the following operation may be performed. That is, the robot 1 reaches the planar position of the measurement point P already stored in the memory unit 2b while recognizing its own current position using positioning information from the GPS device 37. Then, the robot 1 controls the rotation angles of all the joints 6 to move and hold the radiation sensor 3a at the height from the ground G of the measurement point P already stored in the memory unit 2b. Then, in this state, the radiation dose measurement at the measurement point P is performed by the radiation sensor 3a.

[0049] As described above, the storage unit 2b may store rotation angle information of all the joints 6 of the mobile main body 5 and the movable arm 7 as information regarding the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G when measuring the radiation dose at the measurement point P. In this case, the legs 13 and the movable arm 7 are driven to reproduce the rotation angles of the rotation angle information of all the joints 6 already stored in the storage unit 2b, thereby adjusting the height position of the radiation sensor 3a and performing radiation dose measurement at the measurement point P by the radiation sensor 3a. According to this operation, the position of the radiation sensor 3a at the time of radiation dose measurement is reproduced with high accuracy even in radiation dose measurements repeated the following day and thereafter, and as a result, measurement values ​​of the surface dose and spatial dose within the measurement target area A with high reproducibility can be obtained.

[0050] The radiation dose measuring method of this embodiment may further include an environmental information measuring step, a marking step, a radio wave device installation step, and an integrated radiation dose measuring step, as described below.

[0051] (Environmental information measurement process) The environmental information measurement process is executed in parallel with the above-mentioned dose measurement process and the like while the robot 1 is moving in the measurement target area A. In this environmental information measurement process, the environmental information is measured by the environmental sensor 35, for example, at a predetermined time interval. The measured values ​​of each piece of environmental information by the environmental sensor 35 are transmitted to the control device 40, and further transmitted to the user terminal 2 by the communication function of the control device 40.

[0052] Simultaneously with the measurement of each piece of environmental information, positioning information obtained from the GPS device 37 is transmitted from the control device 40 to the user terminal 2. Then, in the user terminal 2, the measured values ​​of the environmental information by the environmental sensor 35 and the positioning information by the GPS device 37 are associated and stored in the memory unit 2b. The calculation unit 2a of the user terminal 2 may recognize the distribution of the environmental information in the measurement target area A using such stored information, and may convert it into visual information such as a contour diagram and display the distribution of the environmental information on the display unit 2c. By obtaining the distribution of the environmental information in the measurement target area A in this way, it is possible to know the risk of human entry due to factors other than the radiation dose.

[0053] Note that the robot 1 may be configured to issue a warning (for example, a warning by sound, light emission, or image projection) at its current location when the measured value of the environmental information exceeds a predetermined threshold while the robot 1 is moving in the measurement target area A. Alternatively, the robot 1 may be configured to report that the measured value has exceeded the threshold by communicating with a command base, a user terminal 2, or a cloud.

[0054] (Marking process) The radiation dosimeter 3 may have a communication function with the control device 40 of the robot 1 and transmit the radiation dose measurement value to the control device 40 in real time. In this case, in the marking step, while the robot 1 is moving in the measurement target area A, the control device 40 recognizes the radiation dose measurement value by the radiation dosimeter 3 in real time. Then, when the radiation dose measurement value exceeds a predetermined threshold, a marking process is executed under the control of the control device 40 to construct a marker on the ground G at the current location of the robot 1. Due to the presence of the marker thus constructed on the ground G, it is easy to recognize a place with a high radiation dose when a person enters the measurement target area A later. For example, if the maximum radiation dose that a person can enter is set as the threshold, a place that cannot be entered is indicated by a marker in the measurement target area A.

[0055] A specific example of the marking process may be, for example, attaching paint sprayed from the robot 1 to the ground G. Another specific example of the marking process may be, for example, placing a physical marker on the ground G. As shown in FIG. 4(a), a conspicuous member such as a cone 51 of a conspicuous color is preferably used as the physical marker. In order to enable such a marking process, a large number of cones 51 may be loaded in advance on the platform 12 of the robot 1. The robot 1 may be provided with an actuator for placing the cones on the platform 12 on the ground G. As exemplified in FIG. 4(a), the actuator may be, for example, another robot arm 53 provided on the upper surface of the torso 11 separately from the movable arm 7. The robot arm 53 may have an end effector similar to the clipper 23 described above in order to grip the cone 51 on the platform 12 and move it onto the ground G. Alternatively, instead of providing a robot arm 53 separate from the movable arm 7, the movable arm 7 may be used as the actuator for placing the cone 51. Alternatively, the actuator may have a drop mechanism that drops the cone 51 from the platform 12 onto the ground G.

[0056] (Radio wave equipment installation process) The radio wave device installation step is performed in parallel with the dose measurement step and the like while the robot 1 is moving within the measurement target area A. Alternatively, the radio wave device installation step may be performed while the measurement operator J (user terminal 2) is moving between the measurement target area A. In the radio wave device installation step, as shown in FIG. 4(b), for example, a radio wave repeater 55 for relaying radio waves for remote control or remote guidance is installed on the ground G at each predetermined moving distance of the robot 1. The presence of the radio wave repeater 55 installed in this manner improves the communication environment of the radio waves for remote control or remote guidance. Therefore, the effective range of the radio waves for remote control or remote guidance is expanded, and the measurement operator J can move further away from the robot 1 within the measurement target area A, resulting in a reduction in radiation exposure of the measurement operator J. In order to enable the installation of such radio wave repeaters 55, a large number of radio wave repeaters 55 may be loaded in advance on the platform 12 of the robot 1. Furthermore, in order to place the radio wave repeater 55 on the platform 12 on the ground G, the robot 1 may be provided with an actuator (for example, the robot arm 53) such as that used in the marking process described above.

[0057] (Cumulative radiation dose measurement process) The accumulated radiation dose measurement process is executed in parallel with the dose measurement process described above, and the accumulated radiation dose while the robot 1 moves in the measurement target area A is measured by the accumulating dosimeter 39 mounted on the robot 1. By acquiring such an accumulated radiation dose, it is possible to know the radiation dose to which the measurement operator J would be exposed if he / she were to perform a similar task. Then, it is possible to evaluate the effect of the robot 1 in reducing the radiation exposure of the measurement operator J by entering the measurement target area A instead of the measurement operator J.

[0058] Next, the effects of the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment will be described. In the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment, the robot 1 equipped with the radiation dose measurement device 3 enters the measurement target area A, so there is almost no opportunity for the measurement operator J to enter the measurement target area A, and the measurement operator J can operate the robot 1 from outside the measurement target area A. This reduces the radiation exposure of the measurement operator J. In particular, in the first radiation dose measurement, the radiation dose within the measurement target area A is unpredictable. Therefore, if the measurement operator J were to enter the measurement target area A, there is a risk that he or she will be exposed to more radiation than expected, so the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment is effective.

[0059] Furthermore, the robot 1 adjusts the height position of the radiation sensor 3a to measure the amount of radiation, and this measurement value is stored in the memory unit 2b in association with the sensor position information at the time of measurement, thereby obtaining measurement values ​​with high reproducibility of the surface dose and air dose within the measurement target area A. In particular, the sensor position information stored in the memory unit 2b is derived from the GPS device 37 mounted on the robot 1 and the rotation angle of the joint 6 of the robot 1 detected by the angle sensor 29, and therefore has high reproducibility compared to, for example, a case where the measurement operator J adjusts the height position, etc. of the radiation sensor 3a by visual estimation.

[0060] In addition, since such radiation dose measurements are periodically performed repeatedly, by accurately capturing the measurement position information for each measurement, measurements can be made with reproducibility, and changes in dose can be compared accurately over time. This helps to identify the cause of changes in dose when the radiation dose at the site changes, and also prevents errors in the measurement position.

[0061] In addition, by obtaining the distribution of radiation doses in the measurement target area A, it is possible to accurately predict the radiation doses that people will receive when they enter the measurement target area A for construction work, and to create appropriate construction plans. In addition, it is possible to clarify measures that should be taken to allow people to enter the measurement target area A, for example.

[0062] In the radiation dose measurement method of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the radiation dosimeter 3 is held in front of the arm camera 33 via a jig 47. Then, the measurement value display unit 3b of the radiation dosimeter 3 is imaged by the arm camera 33 to obtain measurement value imaging data, which is obtained as information related to the measurement value of the radiation dose. According to this method, a radiation dosimeter with a simple configuration that does not have a communication function with the control device 40 can be used, and for example, a commercially available radiation dosimeter that is relatively easy to obtain can be used. In addition, if the jig 47 is produced by a 3D printer, even if the radiation dosimeter is changed, a jig 47 that fits the changed radiation dosimeter can be relatively easily produced again.

[0063] The present invention can be implemented in various forms including the above-described embodiment and various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. It is also possible to configure modified examples by utilizing the technical matters described in the above-described embodiment. The configurations of each embodiment may be used in appropriate combination.

[0064] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the robot 1 is remotely controlled or remotely guided by direct wireless communication between the user terminal 2 and the robot 1, but this is not limited to the above. For example, a wireless LAN environment may be constructed within the measurement target area A, and communication between the user terminal 2 and the robot 1 may be performed via the wireless LAN. In this case, in the above-mentioned radio wave device installation step, instead of the radio wave repeater 55 (FIG. 4(b)), a radio wave device that transmits radio waves for remote control or remote guidance may be installed as an access point of the wireless LAN.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the robot 1 is operated by remote control or remote guidance by the measurement operator J, but the robot 1 may be operated autonomously according to a program given in advance based on information obtained via the wireless LAN, positioning information by the GPS device 37, etc. In addition, in order to enable the robot 1 to move autonomously in the measurement target area A, physical signs or the like with two-dimensional barcodes (e.g., QR codes (registered trademark)) may be appropriately installed in advance in the measurement target area A. In this case, the robot 1 can recognize its own current position in the measurement target area A based on the two-dimensional barcodes captured by the cameras 31 and 33, and can move autonomously.

[0066] In addition, when the robot 1 moves autonomously in the measurement target area A, for example, even if the robot 1 falls over, it is preferable that the robot 1 can return to an upright state by itself. In addition, if an obstacle is present ahead of the robot 1 in the direction of travel, the movement of the robot 1 may be automatically restricted. For example, if the robot 1 enters a patch of grass, it is preferable not to treat the surrounding grass as an obstacle. In addition, when radiation measurement is completed, when radiation measurement is temporarily stopped, or when it becomes difficult for the robot 1 to continue measuring radiation doses for some reason, the robot 1 may automatically retreat to a predetermined position (for example, a command base) outside the measurement target area A along a preset route.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the measurement value display unit 3b of the radiation dosimeter 3 is imaged by the arm camera 33 to obtain measurement value imaging data (information related to the measurement value of the radiation dose), but the radiation dosimeter 3 may have a communication function with the control device 40. In this case, it is preferable in that the measurement value of the radiation dose can be directly obtained as numerical data in the dose measurement step S101.

[0068] In the embodiment, the measurement value imaging data and the sensor position information are transmitted from the control device 40 to the user terminal 2 and stored in the storage unit 2b, but the measurement value imaging data and the sensor position information may be stored in the storage unit of the control device 40. Alternatively, a dedicated data logger may be installed on the platform 12 of the robot 1, and the measurement value imaging data and the sensor position information may be stored in the data logger. In this case, for example, after completing measurements at all measurement points P, when the robot 1 retreats outside the measurement target area A, the measurement operator J may manually transfer the measurement value imaging data and the sensor position information to the user terminal 2.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G is adjusted based on the rotation angle information obtained from the angle sensor 29 of the joint 6 of the movable body 5 and the movable arm 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), a cord 57 hanging down from a position near the radiation dosimeter 3 may be attached near the radiation dosimeter 3. For example, the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G is adjusted to 1200 mm when the lower end of the cord 57 having a length of 1200 mm comes into contact with the ground G. The contact of the lower end of the cord 57 with the ground G may be confirmed, for example, by image data captured by the cameras 31 and 33. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(b), a distance measuring device 59 (for example, a laser distance measuring device) for measuring the distance (height) H from the ground G may be provided near the radiation dosimeter 3. The distance measurement data from this distance measuring device 59 is transmitted to the control device 40, whereby the control device 40 can feedback control the operation of the movable arm 7 to adjust the height of the radiation sensor 3a from the ground G to the desired height.

[0070] As a measuring instrument equipped with a radiation sensor that measures the amount of radiation in the measurement target area A, a gamma camera may be used instead of the radiation dosimeter 3 or in addition to the radiation dosimeter 3.

[0071] Activated dust and the like adheres to the surface of the robot 1 as it moves through the measurement target area A. Therefore, for example, the surface of the robot 1 is washed to remove the dust after use. To reduce the effort and frequency of this washing work, the robot 1 may be fitted with disposable protective clothing. In this case, by removing and discarding the protective clothing from the robot 1 after use, washing of the robot 1 itself can be omitted or reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a quadruped robot 1 is used, but the unmanned mobile robot of the present invention may be a drone or the like that flies and invades the measurement target area A. Furthermore, the robot is not limited to a quadruped robot 1, and may be, for example, a bipedal robot, or a robot that travels on wheels, crawlers, or the like.

[0073] The robot 1 can be used not only for radiation dose measurement as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but also for various other tasks (for example, imaging, measuring, inspection, patrol, and creating a map for construction work). Other tasks may be executed in parallel with the radiation dose measurement of the above-mentioned embodiment. Examples of these tasks include measuring displacement inside a tunnel, measuring the cross section of a tunnel, measuring the completed shape of a tunnel, taking close-up pictures at the face, grasping the presence or absence of water spouts or cracks at the face by taking pictures with far-infrared rays or the like, taking pictures inside a pipe such as a sewer pipe, inspecting cracks in a pipe, inspecting instruments such as a pump, discovering and mapping dangerous objects (for example, beehives) in a construction site, patrolling an inspection route, viewing drawings and instructions at a work site, patrolling and marking work inside a construction site building, grasping the situation at a disaster site, checking the carbon monoxide concentration in an underground pit, checking the protection of scattered objects during a typhoon, grasping people who are unwell (heat stroke, etc.), and the like. The robot 1 can also be used for tasks in particularly dangerous environments and places. Examples of dangerous environments and locations include environments and locations with extreme heat, high discomfort index, high noise, vibration, bad odor, high dust, low oxygen, high radiation, and the presence of dangerous animals and insects. Apparatus such as measuring instruments required for these tasks are appropriately selected and mounted on the platform 12 of the robot 1. For example, a horizontal level adjuster that can be used in conjunction with the automatic level function of the robot 1 may be mounted on the platform 12 of the robot 1 as needed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...Robot (unmanned mobile robot), 3...Radiation dose measuring device, 3a...Radiation sensor, 3b...Measurement value display unit, 5...Mobile main body, 6...Joint, 7...Movable arm, 11...Torso, 13...Leg, 33...Arm camera, 35...Environmental sensor, 37...GPS device, 40...Control device, 51...Cone (marker), 55...Radio wave repeater, A...Measurement target area, G...Ground, P, P1 to P3...Measurement points.

Claims

1. a dose measurement step in which an unmanned mobile robot equipped with a radiation sensor moves within a measurement target area and adjusts the height of the radiation sensor from the ground to measure the amount of radiation at a predetermined measurement point within the measurement target area with the radiation sensor; a sensor position information acquisition step of acquiring sensor position information regarding a three-dimensional position of the radiation sensor, including information regarding the height of the radiation sensor from the ground surface, when the radiation dose is measured in the dose measurement step; a measurement value recording step of recording information regarding the measurement value of the radiation dose obtained in the dose measurement step in association with the sensor position information obtained in the sensor position information acquisition step; A radiation dose measurement method comprising:

2. 2. The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the dose measurement process, the sensor position information acquisition process, and the measurement value recording process are performed at a plurality of measurement points within the measurement target area, and a distribution of radiation doses within the measurement target area is obtained based on information regarding the accumulated measurement values ​​of the radiation doses at each of the measurement points.

3. The unmanned mobile robot is equipped with an environmental sensor that measures environmental information other than the radiation dose, The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 1 , further comprising an environmental information measurement step of measuring the environmental information by the environmental sensor while the unmanned mobile robot is moving through the measurement target area.

4. The radiation dosimetry method according to claim 3 , wherein the environmental information includes at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen concentration, carbon monoxide concentration, and dust concentration.

5. The unmanned mobile robot comprises: a moving main body that moves within the measurement target area; a movable arm provided on the movable main body and having the radiation sensor installed thereon; In the dose measurement step, The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 1 , wherein the unmanned mobile robot moves to the vicinity of the measurement point by driving the mobile main body, and adjusts the vertical position of the radiation sensor by driving the movable arm to hold the radiation sensor at the measurement point.

6. the mobile main body includes a trunk to which the movable arm is attached and a plurality of legs extending from the trunk, and is capable of walking with the plurality of legs on the ground; In the sensor position information acquisition step, The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 5 , wherein information regarding the height of the radiation sensor from the ground is obtained from the sensor position information based on each rotation angle of each joint included in the torso, the legs, and the movable arm.

7. In the sensor position information acquisition step, The radiation dosimetry method according to claim 6 , wherein information on a planar position of the radiation sensor is acquired from the sensor position information by a GPS device mounted on the unmanned mobile robot.

8. The movable arm includes: a radiation dosimetry device having the radiation sensor and a measurement value display unit that displays a measurement value of the radiation dose by the radiation sensor; a camera for capturing an image of the measurement value display unit, The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 5 , wherein in the measurement value recording step, imaging information obtained from the camera is recorded as information relating to the measurement value of the radiation dose.

9. The unmanned mobile robot can be operated by remote control or remote guidance, The radiation dose measurement method according to claim 1 , further comprising a radio wave device installation step of installing a radio wave device that relays or transmits radio waves for remote control or remote guidance at a location along the movement of the unmanned mobile robot.

10. The radiation dose measuring method according to claim 1 , further comprising a marking step of constructing a predetermined marker at a current position of the unmanned mobile robot when the amount of radiation measured by the radiation sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. A radiation dose measurement method in which a radiation dose at a predetermined measurement point within a measurement target area is measured using an unmanned mobile robot equipped with a radiation sensor, comprising: The unmanned mobile robot comprises: a movable main body having a torso and a plurality of legs extending from the torso; and a movable arm provided on the torso and having the radiation sensor installed thereon; the unmanned mobile robot recognizes its current position based on positioning information from a GPS device mounted on the robot, and walks with the legs on the ground to reach a predetermined flat position; the unmanned mobile robot drives the movable arm to adjust the height of the radiation sensor from the ground, thereby holding the radiation sensor at the position of the measurement point; A radiation dosimetry method, wherein the radiation dose is measured by the radiation sensor.

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