Free application to detect radiation with smash camera "GammaPix Lite"

DARPA (US Department of Defense) - It was developed with support of about 2.5 million dollars (about 200 million yen) from the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Investigation Committee (National Academy of Sciences)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryandNational Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) has actually been tested and the application has been confirmed that this "GammaPix Lite"is. The technique of detecting radiation using smartphone cameras is used.

Gammapix Radiation Detection System - Image Insight, Inc.
http://gammapix.com/sites/

GammaPix Lite - Android application on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ImageInsightInc.GammaPixLite


First of all, it is necessary to initialize for about 20 minutes where there is no excessive radioactivity before using the application for the first time, and in order to obtain the best result, it is necessary to make the light not entering the light receiving part of the camera. Specifically, by putting a cover on the lens and making it dark, waiting for a while, you can see that the initialization is completed because the smartphone shakes with the vibration function.


If it operates, if there is no danger, it will read about 5 minutes and will tell you that it is safe.


If there is a dangerous level of radiation immediately, it reports immediately as follows, so let's leave as soon as possible from where you are.


The measurement result can be recorded like this


Technically it was observed at the time of Chernobyl "The film of the camera was exposed to strong radiation / neutrons, and many white spots and bright points were taken.This is done with the camera lens and chip of the smartphone now.


In fact, when gamma rays hit the chip,Count the number of bright pixels coming out on a dark backgroundThen, the presence of more pixels is judged to be a higher activity level.


On that mechanism,Motorola AtrixIt is said that it can not be used when equipped with a camera that has a function that is brighter and automatically corrected when the light quantity is low, Therefore, the calibration is still limited to a certain range of models, and it seems that it is currently being calibrated at a rapid pace to work even on most major smartphones.


In short, radiation of a level at which health damage immediately occurs, such as nuclear explosion accident, nuclear attack, orDirty Bomb(A bomb attack that explodes and scatters radioactive material), even silent source attack (a stadium or hundreds or thousands of people with substances releasing a fatal level of radiation) or other public A terrorist attack that walks in space and causes people in the surroundings to be bombed one after another) levels,It is not used as a substitute for Geiger counter or genuine radiation detector, And that.


In addition, online connection is necessary to start up, and this free light version is available until June 30, 2012, and even more advanced paid version and iPhone version (about $ 4.99, about 400 yen) It is said that it is scheduled.

Also, development has been on since pre-3.11 in 2002, strangely 3.11 accelerated development, should also be able to work with smartphones by sending a test version to Japan and testing to various people I got it, I was able to reach the completion of this time. The tweets of those who actually participated in the beta test are summarized below.

I played with GammaPix. - Togetter(2011/08/26)
http://togetter.com/li/179674

Further on the following page the interview of the developer is posted on March 19, 2012, and it explains in detail what kind of mechanism it is and why it was developed.

Dirty Bombs: A Smart Phone Application That Measures Radioactivity Could Detect Dirty Bombs - Courant.com
http://www.courant.com/business/connecticut/hc-smart-phone-geiger-counter-20120319,0,1075051.story


It is already adopted as the first example in the subway of Washington DC, web cameras using this software technology will appear in the future, making a network with GPS of the application and smartphone and immediately see where the radioactive substance is located It is also possible to detect it.

Impression of the person who testedAs far as I'm concerned, it seems not to be fake or story, and it is not a level like a radiation detector, but it is not always possible to carry a Geiger Counter, so to use an existing smartphone as it is is "when it is time It seems quite useful for sure.