Development of an open architecture system to detect radiological and nuclear threats at low cost
The European NEST project, with the participation of CSIC, has culminated in the creation of a sensor technology that makes it possible to respond to nuclear, biological and chemical alerts in real time, safely and economically. The open architecture, which allows the modular use of the system with any type of sensor, has been developed taking into account ethical considerations and has been approved by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.
A collaboration between European public and private entities has culminated in the development of a modular system for nuclear, biological and chemical risk detection (also known by its acronym CBRN risk) based on free hardware solutions, integrated to the Internet of Things and low cost. The CSIC's Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), has collaborated in the development of this device, the first of its kind to be approved for standardization by CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), the European body responsible for standards for electrical and electronic products.
The technology developed within the NEST project, funded by the European framework program Horizon 2020, consists of a system of “sensors integrated to an alert software that allows the live exchange of information between different agents,” explains Manuel Lozano, principal investigator of the IMB-CNM-CSIC collaboration. “The system launches specific alerts according to the type of risk and aids rapid live resolution. Its distinctive features compared to other products on the market are its open architecture, secured by a proposed CENELEC standard, low cost, flexibility and ease of expansion. It is open to connect sensors of any type developed by third parties,” adds Lozano.
The objective of the system is to become the standard for a European sensor system, the first phase of which has been completed thanks to approval as a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA), a CENELEC reference document.
Threat prevention
CBRN risks are a growing problem in today's societies and their detection is a priority for the prevention of threats, both natural and man-made. The initiative, which has brought together organizations from Germany, Poland, Portugal and Spain, has resulted in a prototype threat detection and management system. It has been tested in terrorist alert simulations in a hotel (at the Hotel Atiram, in Barcelona), a train (in Lisbon, with the collaboration of the company Comboios de Portugal) and a soccer field (of the Lech Poznan team, in Poland).
The IMB-CNM-CSIC has been in charge of the implementation and integration of the radiation detector, which uses radiation-sensitive microelectronics. All this in the CSIC's Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, a Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) recognized by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. “It is a passive sensor, very sensitive to changes in the environment and very cheap thanks to the use of micro-technologies,” notes Esteve Amat, IMB-CNM-CSIC researcher collaborating on the project.
Ethics in terrorist alert protocols
Another strength of the project has been the development of an ethical approach to its use in real cases. Sara Degli-Esposti, from the CSIC's Institute of Philosophy (IF-CSIC), participated as an ethics advisor. “The project has weighed up ethical considerations throughout the development of the technology, such as respect for human dignity and privacy, environmental protection and workers' health,” says Degli-Esposti. These good ethical practices in research, through the free participation of volunteers or the use of substances that are harmless to health and the environment in pilot tests, “help to develop better technologies focused on the needs of users and in line with the priorities and values of the European Union,” she concludes.
European collaboration to create a warning protocol
The project has been running from 2021 to 2024, coordinated by the Spanish company Amper S & C. In addition to the collaboration with the CSIC, it has had, among others, the hotel chain Atiram and the Mossos d'Esquadra in Spain; with the German company WoePal GmbH; the University of Łódź and the soccer team Lech Poznań in Poland; and the company Comboios de Portugal and the Ground Transportation Systems Portugal (GTSPT) in Portugal.
Its distinctive features compared to other products on the market are its open architecture, secured by a proposed CENELEC standard, low cost, flexibility and ease of expansion. It is open to connect sensors of any type developed by third parties.
Image gallery
- Esteve Amat and Manuel Lozano with the biological, chemical and nuclear risk detection device developed in the NEST project. Image: Sabela Rey.
- Detection device with biological, chemical and nuclear risk sensors developed in the NEST project. Image: Sabela Rey.
- Training kit of the NEST detection device. Image: Sabela Rey.
- Esteve Amat and Manuel Lozano with the biological, chemical and nuclear risk detection device developed in the NEST project. Image: Sabela Rey.
