This Device Maps Out Radiation Levels with a Raspberry Pi

Thankfully, we all now know that some kinds of radiation are extremely dangerous—specifically ionizing radiation. But the truth is that radiation is present all around us, it’s just the type of radiation and the levels that we need to worry about. For example, the area around Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster was very dangerous because of the high levels of ionizing radiation present. While most of us don’t need to be concerned about coming across dangerous radiation, it can be interesting to “see” the radiation levels in specific areas. That’s why Hunter Long built a Raspberry Pi GPS Scintillation Detector to map out those radiation levels.

This device can be divided up into two broad parts: the radiation detector and the GPS logger. As opposed to a conventional Geiger counter, Long is using a homemade scintillation detector. A scintillation detector is essentially a small chamber that has been sealed to make it completely dark. When radioactive particles, like those present in gamma rays, enter the chamber, they emit a very small amount of light. The frequency of the light pulses is proportional to the ambient radiation levels. By putting some sort of sensitive light sensor, such as a photoresistor, inside of the chamber, the radiation levels can be monitored.

In this case, Long is using a Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC) to monitor the scintillation detector. The radiation level readings are displayed on an LCD screen and also logged for the next step. At the same time that the Raspberry Pi is monitoring the scintillation detector, it’s also checking the current geographic coordinates through a GPS module. By syncing the timestamps of the radiation level readings and GPS updates, Long can create a map showing the levels at any given location he has visited. In testing, Long was even able to find one interesting radiation hot spot near his home using the device. He then went back to verify the readings with a Geiger counter, and was even able to gain some confirmation from an old aerial survey conducted by the government.