Robot dog investigates deserted atomic bomb test sites

By Harrison Moore via SWNS

A robot dog called Spot is being used to survey buildings once used for weapons testing during the Cold War.

Spot has four legs and a camera mounted to the top and is controlled remotely while exploring areas potentially unsafe for humans to go.

The labs in Orford Ness, Suffolk, have been deserted for years due to decaying concrete making it unsafe for humans.

The remote shingle spit was used as a military test site during both world wars.

The buildings were constructed in 1960 to carry out environmental tests on the atomic bomb - mimicking what the weapon might face before being detonated, including vibration, extremes of temperature and shocks.

Although no nuclear material was involved, a test failure could still have resulted in a catastrophic explosion.

For this reason, the labs were designed and constructed with a shingle top which would absorb and dissipate if an explosion occurred.

The Ministry of Defence sold the site to the National Trust in 1993.

Glen Pearce, operations manager at the National Trust’s Orford Ness, said: “The buildings have always had a certain mystery about them.

“When they were built and in use during the Cold War, they were shrouded in secrecy, and after they were decommissioned, they fell into disrepair.

“Nobody has been able to go inside for several years due to safety reasons."