Radiation-Resistant Wi-Fi Receiver Can Operate Inside Nuclear Reactors

Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a radiation-hardened Wi-Fi receiver designed to operate within the extreme environments of nuclear reactors. The technology aims to enable robots to operate in contaminated areas for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities without the need for physical tethering.

The chip was unveiled in February 2026 at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco, California. According to reports from IEEE Spectrum and Tom’s Hardware, the receiver is engineered to withstand high doses of radiation for at least six months.

Technical Specifications and Endurance

The new receiver can continue operating after being exposed to 500 kilograys of radiation. This level of endurance is noted to significantly exceed the design specifications of standard space-grade electronics.

The chip operates on the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency. To achieve this level of radiation resistance, the research team utilized special materials and a specific design tailored to withstand the interference caused by nuclear radiation.

Solving the Tethering Problem in Nuclear Decommissioning

Standard silicon-based semiconductors used in wireless communication are highly susceptible to interference from nuclear radiation. Because of this vulnerability, robots used in contaminated zones have traditionally relied on physical LAN cables to communicate with their operators.

The limitations of wired communication became particularly evident during the cleanup efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which disabled the plant’s backup energy sources and cooling systems, robots tasked with cleaning contaminated areas faced significant operational hurdles due to tangled wires.

While lead shielding can stop radioactive emissions from reaching a chip, it also blocks the radio frequency signals necessary for wireless communication. This makes standard consumer-grade Wi-Fi chips unusable in these environments, even with heavy shielding.

Impact on Nuclear Industry Robotics

The introduction of radiation-hardened Wi-Fi is expected to empower robotics in the nuclear industry by removing the physical constraints of cabling. By allowing for wireless control and data transmission, the technology can slash human exposure during high-risk reactor decommissioning processes.

The development team included researchers such as Yasuto Narukiyo and Sena Kato. Their work provides a pathway for more agile and efficient robotic deployment in environments where radiation levels would typically destroy standard electronic communication components.