Utilization of drones for monitoring and estimating ionizing radiation sources

Technological advancement in recent decades has led to notable innovations in various fields, particularly in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. These versatile and efficient tools have played significant roles in a wide range of applications, expanding monitoring and exploration possibilities in various contexts. One area where drones have excelled is in radiation monitoring, where their combination with specialized detectors offers an agile and safe approach to data acquisition in hard-to-reach locations and vast areas. In this context, the need arises for integrated systems that can not only collect flight and radiation detection data but also ensure the reliability and accuracy of this information. This study aims to address this demand by presenting a system that integrates sensors for radiation monitoring on drones, with potential applications in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (CBRN) scenarios, in both radiological and nuclear aspects. To ensure the accuracy of the collected data during flight, various calibrations and tests were conducted on the radiation detector, covering crucial parameters such as energy, angle, temperature, radiation dose, and speed of movement. These calibrations and tests are essential to correct any distortions and ensure the reliability of the measurements performed by the system. In addition to increasing the reliability of the data, the practicality in analyzing the information was also considered in the development of the system. The visual representation of the data, through heatmaps and flight routes on a 2D map in HTML, provides a clear and intuitive view of areas with higher detected radiation dose rates, facilitating the identification of potential radiation sources and aiding decision-making. Finally, the implementation of a search algorithm complements the proposed solution, allowing the creation of efficient routes to points of higher radiation intensity, providing a preliminary estimate of possible radiation sources near areas with high dose rates. Thus, the developed system aims to offer an integrated and effective approach to radiation monitoring, combining the mobility and versatility of drones with the sensitivity and reliability of radiation detector data, contributing to safety and decision-making in different application contexts. (author)