Deep underground in eastern France, a four-legged bundle of energy named Scar, loaded with sensors, steps gingerly through vast caverns. It’s an ideal training ground for the robotic dog being groomed by researchers at the Ecole des Mines engineering school, reports Tech Xplore. On Tuesday, a team from the university tested out Scar’s abilities at the Cigeo lab 500 metres below the village of Bure, slated to become a permanent home for thousands of tonnes of toxic waste from France’s nuclear power plants. At times the black-and-yellow robot was guided by remote control, but at times it could navigate on its own. Scar can inspect areas that are hard to reach or could expose humans to radiation risks.
