The 'mighty' robots of Fukushima

A guide to the global crew of robots — including a hulking machine called the "Rescue Dragon" — that's going where humans fear to tread: Inside Japan's stricken nuclear plant

A remote-controlled "PackBot" opens a door in the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant: The robots are made by the same U.S. company that brought us the Roomba vacuum robot.
(Image credit: Corbis)

After several false starts, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) is starting to deploy a growing army of robotic helpers to restore sections of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility that are too radioactive for humans. Initially, Japan lacked qualified robots (revealing a sizable hole in its renowned robotics expertise), so the first mechanical workers were imported from the U.S. and Europe. But the latest, the "mighty Enryu," is all Japanese. Let's meet some of Japan's robot saviors:

1. T-53 Enryu ("Rescue Dragon")

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