New system to detect nuclear, biological and chemical threats

Engineers have developed a cheap, open-architecture system for secure, real-time detection of nuclear, biological and chemical risks.

Thanks to close collaboration between European public and private entities, it has been possible to develop a cheap modular system for detecting nuclear, biological and chemical risk (also known by its acronym “NBC risk”) based on free hardware solutions, integrable to the Internet of Things.

The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB), dependent on the National Center for Microelectronics (CNM) and this in turn of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), in Spain, has collaborated in the development of this device, the first of these characteristics that has been approved as a standard by CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), the European body responsible for standards for electrical and electronic products.

This technology, developed within the Nest project, consists of a system of “sensors integrated into alert software that allows the live exchange of information between different agents,” explains Manuel Lozano, co-author of the study.

“The system launches specific alerts depending on the type of risk and helps with rapid live resolution. Its distinctive features compared to other products on the market are its open architecture, ensured by a CENELEC standard proposal, low cost, flexibility and ease of expansion. It is open to being able 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 the approval as the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA), a CENELEC reference document.

Image of the device developed within the Nest project. (Photo: Nest)

NBC risks are a growing problem in today’s societies and their detection is a priority for the prevention of threats, both of natural and artificial origin. The initiative, which has brought together entities from Germany, Poland, Portugal and Spain, has ended with a prototype threat detection and management system. It has been tested in terrorist alert simulations in a hotel (at the Atiram Hotel, in Barcelona), a train (in Lisbon, with the collaboration of the Comboios company from Portugal) and a soccer field (from the Lech Poznan team, in Poland). ).

The IMB has been responsible for the implementation and integration of the radiation detector, which uses radiation-sensitive microelectronics. All this in the Micro and Nanofabrication White Room of the CSIC

This detector “is a passive sensor, very sensitive to changes in the environment and very cheap thanks to the use of microtechnologies,” says Esteve Amat, an IMB researcher who collaborates on the project.

Another strength of the project has been the development of an ethical approach around its use in real cases. Sara Degli-Esposti, from the Institute of Philosophy (IF) of the CSIC, participated as ethics advisor. “The project has taken into account ethical considerations throughout the development of the technology, such as respect for human dignity and privacy, protection of the environment and the health of workers,” says Degli-Esposti. (Source: IMB / CNM / CSIC)