New Tools for Facility Change Detection through 3D-Sensing for IAEA Safeguards

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors perform design information verification (DIV) inspections of nuclear facilities to confirm the layout and operation of a declared peaceful nuclear operation such as enrichment or reprocessing. Inspectors presently use three dimensional laser range finder (3DLR) in limited circumstances to perform change-detection measurements inside a facility. Wider use of 3DLR tools for DIV inspections is restricted because of the cumbersome and cost prohibitive nature of 3DLR technology. New tools and techniques are available through commercial off-the-shelf (COS) products and open source software to perform range-finding and change detection functions thereby giving inspectors the ability to confirm facility DIV with physical measurements. Ongoing research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville seeks to design, develop, and test existing 3D-sesning COS products to supplement current IAEA inspector tools. New tools developed under this effort will be purpose-built to the usage requirements of IAEA inspectors, will demonstrate cost-savings for the IAEA, and must be able to function in challenging engineering environments.