TEPCO resumes robot survey at crippled Fukushima No. 2 unit

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex said Tuesday it has resumed checking the exterior of the No. 2 reactor with a tetrapod robot, although it could not determine areas where water leaks are occurring.

The investigation had stalled because the remote-controlled robot, developed by Toshiba Corp., lost balance while climbing steps and faced other problems during the previous survey in December.

On Tuesday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. sent the robot near the doughnut-shaped suppression pool at the bottom of the No. 2 reactor's primary containment vessel. It looked at areas near some of the huge pipes that connect the pool and the containment vessel.