THREE-DIMENSIONAL DETECTION OF GAMMA RADIATION AND POLLUTING GASES USING QUADROCOPTERS

Abstract

Abstract. Aim. Accurate knowledge of the extent and local distribution of pollution plays a key role in many areas of life.Method. Although there are many well-known and generally-accepted methods for obtaining the intended data, these methods do not give a satisfactory result in cases when it is necessary to determine the exact parameters of pollution quickly and in a relatively small area (e.g. an industrial zone of several square kilometers, a residential area, etc.) and to determine changes in these parameters as expressed numerically. Small UAVs (multicopter with fixed or rotating wing) were equipped with sensitive detectors for gamma rays and polluting gases, including the assignation of flight data coordinates to the measured data. Such informational groupings provide the opportunity to determine the distribution of radiation or air polluting gases. Using this method, it is possible to identify and localise illegally-stored or illegally-released gamma ray emitting materials, continuously monitor pollution caused by chemical disasters and determine the spatial distribution of pollution.Results. The article presents systems based on practical experiments, which, in the case of using a gamma detector, allow the localisation of objects using low radiation doses along with a high-quality map of gamma radiation in a specific area; and, in the case of gas sensors, the visualisation of the spatial distribution of a polluting gas. The method is used primarily in the field to detect gamma emitters with low activity or to analyse the emission of industrial facilities with the emission of pollutants.Conclusion. The combination of spatial coordinates with remote sensing data comprises an effective meas-urement method. The developed system is generally applicable for mobile platforms equipped with sensors. The systems are designed to provide fast, efficient and reliable measurements that can be used for both detection and control. The type of pollutants to be measured depends on the sensors used. The experiments also indicate that, when replacing the used sensors, it may be necessary to change the processing of the measured data in accordance with the characteristics of the particular sensor; however, in general, data processing and visualisation of the results can be carried out in practice.