Abstract
Radiation is all around us as a result of naturally occurring radioactive materials, or NORM, from cat-litter to low-sodium salt, and rocks to various items of food. However, while these items give off safe and very low levels of ionising radiation, greater levels are found and used across science, industry, and manufacturing – with training people to safely handle and protect themselves from radiological hazards being a major challenge, taking time, expense and risking potential contamination. Could Bluetooth sensors combined with smartphones provide a low-cost training solution to enable safe radiological protection and response training?
Project description:
While near-field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth technology has existed for decades as a sensory, detection, and security tool, it has only been in recent years, with the development and release of Apple’s AirTag technology, that its use across the consumer market has exploded.
Many people, are continually losing possessions and have become dependent upon the accurate, ‘crowd-source’ nature of the collaborative technology to find items. Can this technology be used as a low-cost means of training first responders, operators, and site personnel in radiation protection and dosimetry? Using the NFC tag can we teach users how to safely operate around radioactive sources without the need to actually use alpha, beta, or gamma emitters?
Using the API key provided by Apple for their low-cost products, this project will work to develop an iOS App allowing people to rehearse how to safely monitor for contamination and remediate spills – all without the need and inconvenience of using actual emitters. With the support of scientists here at the University of Bristol (UoB), the internship will involve using the freely available Apple codebase to produce a number of fictitious radioactive sources which can be detected using the Geiger Counter app that you will develop – again with the support of the UoB team. At the end of the project, you will have a system that can be used to train scientists and first responders around the world in how to safely handle radioactive contamination/event, without the need for real radioactive sources. The outcomes of this project will be used not just here in the UK, but will be vital in training collaborators at sites such as Chornobyl, where the continual monitoring of differing types of radioactive contamination is vital for their everyday routine clearance activities.
Preferred intern working pattern:
Like all of the summer internships that have been, and continue to be run, by Dr Martin within the Interface Analysis Centre (IAC) research group at UoB, a highly flexible approach is always adopted to suit the student in their work. While they are at the university, they are thoroughly immersed in the activities of the group – including seminars, lab meetings, visits, and summer social activities. To get the most from their summer internship, most students work on the UoB Precinct and in IAC labs/offices full-time, although working from home and flexible working to suit the student is always possible! But every student to-date has said that being based on-site amongst an active research community is one of the best bits of the entire project with Dr Martin and the IAC – with many not wanting to leave and be a student again!
Can the internship be carried out from home (remotely): Yes
Will remote working equipment be provided: Yes