An exercise to test a drone-borne radiological detection system designed to locate and identify radioactive sources in an emergency scenario

A team from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), formed by the IONHE
and ICARUS research groups from the Institute of Energy Technologies (INTE) and the
Department of Computer Architecture (EETAC), successfully completed an
international drill organized by the National Radiation Protection Institute of the Czech
Republic (SURO).

The exercise tested a drone-borne radiological detection system
designed to locate and identify radioactive sources in an emergency scenario. This
system was developed by the aforementioned groups and partially funded by the
Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) under the framework of the Gammadron project.
From June 8 to 11, the National Radiation Protection Institute of the Czech Republic
(SURO) organized an international exercise focused on the detection and location of
both point and extended radioactive sources using unmanned aircraft systems,
commonly known as drones.
The scenario recreated an accident involving two vans, one of which was illegally
transporting radioactive material. Thus, the participants were unaware of both the
radionuclides involved and their activity levels.
The first challenge consisted of generating, in just 45 minutes, a map of the affected
area based on the dose rates measured by the drone and the gamma spectra recorded at
each measurement point, also incorporating the position and time of data acquisition.
Subsequently, only a few hours were available to locate all the sources, identify the
radionuclides present, and calculate their activity.
The need to obtain a radiological map of the scenario as quickly as possible forced
flight operations to continue under highly adverse weather conditions, including rain
and strong wind gusts. These circumstances pushed the operational capacity of both the
drones and the measurement system to the limit.
Despite these difficulties, the team managed to transmit the dose data and spectra
practically in real time, locate all radioactive sources, identify the radionuclides present,
and estimate their activity within the established timeframe, fulfilling all the objectives
of the exercise.
Beyond the results obtained, these types of initiatives are essential for validating new
technologies under realistic conditions, improving response protocols for radiological
emergencies, and strengthening collaboration among specialized European teams in this
field.
We would like to express our gratitude to the entire participating team and, in a special
way, to the students David García, Jan Viñas, and David Archila, for their dedication,
commitment, and excellent work during the development of the exercise.

Some of the most outstanding moments of the exercise can be seen at the following
link:

https://youtu.be/pSe6Y0viK_E