Journal of Instrumentation

Application of miniaturized sensors to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, a new

pathway for the survey of critical areas
To cite this article: D. Di Giovanni et al 2019 JINST 14 C03006

View the article online for updates and enhancements.

This content was downloaded from IP address 142.104.240.194 on 07/04/2019 at 15:08

 Published by IOP Publishing for Sissa Medialab
Received: January 7, 2019
Accepted: March 11, 2019
Published: March 22, 2019

5th International Conference Frontiers in Diagnostcs Technologies

3–5 October 2018
INFN Frascati, Rome, Italy

2019 JINST 14 C03006

Application of miniaturized sensors to Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles, a new pathway for the survey of critical areas

D. Di Giovanni,a,b F. Fumiana,c,1 and A. Maliziaa,b

a Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”,
Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, Italy
b International Master Courses in Protection Against CBRNe events, Department of Industrial Engineering,

Faculty of Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”,

Via del Politecnico 1, Rome, Italy
c Joint NBC Defence School of Rieti,

Piazza Marconi 7, Rieti, Italy

E-mail: francesca.fumian@esercito.difesa.it

Abstract: During the latest decades, an increasing of threats associated to Chemical, Biological,
Radiological and Nuclear events (CBRNe) took place.
For what regards break-out of chemical and radiological compounds, several episodes have
occurred, such as unwanted industrial leakage, intentional use of chemical weapons by non-state
actors or smuggling of nuclear material, that, by materializing a global threat, have conducted to
casualties the actors involved, inter alia fire brigades and military first responders. Concerning the
equipment provided to these operators, huge progresses have been done in portable detectors, now
able to employ numerous different working principles and technologies. Nonetheless, especially
during the survey phase after a CBRN release, the operators enter in a potentially contaminated
area without knowing type and amount of the contamination, running the risk of losses during the
reconnaissance.
On the other hand, nowadays we are witnessing a worldwide spread development of Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAV), with countless uses in different fields. They have founded fruitful im-
plementation across civil and military ground in aerial photography, express shipping, gathering
information during disaster management, thermal sensor drones for search and rescue operations,
geographic mapping of inaccessible locations, severe weather forecasting.
What if we could send one or more of these flying platforms equipped with CBRN sensors,
geo-localized, able to collect samples and to detect in real time a contamination. Subsequently,
1Corresponding author.

c 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/14/03/C03006

once the CBRN incident occurrence is confirmed, after the analysis of collected samples is likely to
determine the chemical compound or the radiation emitter involved and the level of contamination.
If all this is made feasible, we will be able to minimize or completely avoid the exposure of
personnel, moreover it will be determined the exact position of the hotspot and better supported the
choice of personal protective equipment to be used to enter in the hazard area. Finally, time will be
saved by an early UAV survey, while waiting to obtain the safety permissions for entry in the area.

Keywords: Detector design and construction technologies and materials; Gaseous detectors;
Models and simulations; Radiation monitoring

2019 JINST 14 C03006

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Operational requirements definition 1

2.1 Setup of the integrated platform 1
2.2 Numerical simulation 2
2.3 Scenario based training 3

2019 JINST 14 C03006

3 Proposition of methodological approach for system integration 3
3.1 Research program work plan 3
3.2 Expected results and Future development 3

1 Introduction

In the recent years, UAV has seen the emerging of several new applications, different from the
ones for which they have been originally conceived, such as capturing aerial videos and pictures.
The integration of drones with different capabilities is already well developed for what regards
environmental monitoring, i.e. PM10 particulate and CO2 emission, or in case of radiological
events, while the same level of technological progress, especially in Italy, is not already acquired
for what regards the detection and identification of CBRNe agents.
The possibility to deploy an UAV instead of a military first responder or a civil operator in the
hot-spot of a chemical release or of a radiological attack is strategic, from a safety point of view.
It could allow to reduce possible casualties and, moreover, to speed up the time of intervention. It
constitutes the application of a comprehensive approach to capability development for mitigating
gaps and consequently creating new or adapted detection technologies for national CBRN specialist
units and civil first responders.

2 Operational requirements definition

A market enquiry on available technologies will be assessed for the identification of the platform
and of the chemical and radiological detection instruments that meet the operational requirement
defined hereinafter.

2.1 Setup of the integrated platform

Analytical equipment for CBRNe detection and analysis should fulfil some basic requirement, which
could be gained with a single or employing several instruments.
In our research project, for chemical agents most of these requirements could be achieved
by using paper-based and screen-printed electrochemical sensors [1, 2] under development, while

–1–
 Table 1. Gas and Radiation sensors specifications and minimum requirements.
Parameter Gas Detection Specifications and Minimum Requirements
Operating principle Enzymatic paper-based and Ion Mobility Spectrometry (Ionization
screen-printed electrochemical by radioactive source) [9]
sensors [1, 2]
Agents detected Nerve agents, blister agents Nerve agents, blister agents
Sensitivity 0.1 ppm From 3 to 300 ppm, depending from
agent
Time to detect Enzyme deactivation time of 3 min 6 secs in case of highly persistent agents
Data handling and 200 data points recording and Wi-Fi data 72 h data recording time and Wi-Fi
Communication interface transmission independent from UAV communication independent from UAV

2019 JINST 14 C03006

Continuous operating time 4 h with amperometer cell on 8–12 h
Consumables Paper sensor Batteries if any
Parameter Radiation Detection Specifications and Minimum Requirements
Operating principle Gamma scintillation sensors Gamma spectrometry / dosimetry
Scintillation material Gd based plastic or NaI(Tl), CeBr3 [3] Galvanized Cd/Te
Measurable range Gamma-rays with energies from 30 keV Dose range from 10 nSv/h to 10 Sv/h
to 3 MeV
Communication interface Wi-Fi communication independent from Wi-Fi communication independent from
UAV UAV
Power supply Rechargeable battery Rechargeable battery

for the detection of a radiological dispersion will be employed gamma scintillation Gadolinium
based [3] sensors and Galvanized Cadmium Tellurium Compact Detectors for gamma spectrometry
applications.
The integrated setup will foresee installation both of sensors under development that of instru-
mentation already available on the market, in the way to have a comparative response of different
operating principles in the identification of radiological and chemical warfare agent. The platform
will be a commercial UAV of “mini” category (MUAV: total weight at take-off less than 25 kg [4]).
Rotatory wing type will be employed in the way to perform a high proximity flight. In fact, distance
is a determining factor to have effective detection. Vehicle has to be, possibly, de-contaminable
after operation.

2.2 Numerical simulation

When modifying a commercial drone in order to host a specific sensors, even for detection purposes
only, a dedicated analysis needs to be carried out: especially for chemical substances but also for
radiological powder dispersion, the aerodynamic forces generated by the drone propellers could
influence the detection and compromise the final results. The path to optimization is offered by
modelling and simulating the dispersion of a chemical or a radiological agent [5] and the dynamic
systems with Computational Fluid Dynamics algorithms in order to generate a set of algebraic and
differential equations or a mathematical model.
Whether if the numerical model accurately reproduces the real platform configuration will be
validated during the experimental activities. In case the simulated fluid-dynamic is not consistent
with the real turbulence created by rotatory wings, the first will be adjusted.

–2–
2.3 Scenario based training
The training program for operation in critical areas has to meet some basic requirement, defined
in the Italian regulation for the achievement of UAV Piloting License ENAC LIC 15 [6], and will
foresee a theoretical part, including contents about flight performances and planning, safety and risk
management, and a practical part, with missions focused on critical setups. In the scenario-based
training specific for CBRN threat will be reconstructed, with increasing difficulty, to assess the pilot
ability to operate in this kind of environment, by performing proximity flight useful for detection
and sampling of agents.
Practical activities will be conducted both in civil and military training areas. All the operations

2019 JINST 14 C03006

will be in visual line of sight (VLOS) except for the ones led in confined environment, where it is
possible to operate behind visual line of sight (BVLOS) without violating the national regulation [7].
In addition, practical activities will take place in the military training area of the Joint NBC
Defence School of Rieti. In that area are located several scenarios reproducing real life environments
in which simulants of chemical agents can be employed to test relevant sensors. Moreover is available
a low-level ration area to test radiological sensors. The cooperation between HPE and the University
of Rome Tor Vergata for experimental activities on UAV and CBRNe sensors in the military training
area has already been included in the R&D projects on UAV Systems sector of ENAC, as per art.8
comma 10 of the cited regulation.

3 Proposition of methodological approach for system integration

Physical construction of the demonstrator by integration of the components, selected to meet the
defined operational requirements, to the whole drone will be performed. The overall weight of
the integrated platform must not overcome the payload of the category of “mini” UAV selected.
The integration of the sensing system with the MUAV has to interfere as less as possible with its
geometry, in the way to not increase too much perturbation to the flying performances such as
speed, stability and flight duration. Moreover, the sensors have to be protected from contamination
during time of flight that goes from the take-off to the hot-spot.

3.1 Research program work plan

Once the first prototype will be assembled on the basis of a predictive simulation, an inductive
cyclical methodology will be followed for its optimization and for the verification of the simulation
behaviour. A cycle of experimental tests will be conducted to validate the configurations and
optimize the system. From the elaboration of the experimental data collected also the numerical
simulation will be optimized and possibly extended to other configurations. Finally, the test
campaign will be aimed to confirm the aptness of the scenario-based training.

3.2 Expected results and Future development

• Individuation of system requirements for both platform and components for detection and
identification. Selection of suitable apparatuses after a market research.

• Design and construction of an unmanned vehicle equipped with the instrumentation that fulfil
the system requirements identified, optimized after field testing.

–3–
 • Obtainment of a qualitative and quantitative response satisfying in terms of detection, sam-
pling and characterization [8] of the chemical agents.

• Numerical simulation of the integrated drone and sensing system to predict the eventual
interferences of the UAV rotatory wings and sensors in the integration phase, therefor to
optimize the system subsequently to the experimental activities.

• Definition and optimization of a training program to qualify an operator to pilot in critical

areas by meeting the different requirements provided in Italian regulation [9].

2019 JINST 14 C03006

References

[1] N. Colozza, K. Kehe, T. Popp, D. Steinritz, D. Moscone and F. Arduini, Paper-based electrochemical
sensor for on-site detection of the sulphur mustard, Environ. Sci. Pollut. R. (2018) in press.
[2] S. Cinti, C. Minotti, D. Moscone, G. Palleschi and F. Arduini, Fully integrated ready-to-use
paper-based electrochemical biosensor to detect nerve agents, Biosens. Bioelectron. 93 (2017) 46.
[3] S. Agosteo, G. Curzio, F. d’Errico, R. Nath and R. Tinti, Characterisation of an accelerator-based
neutron source for BNCT versus beam energy, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 476 (2002) 106.
[4] EASA, Proposal to create common rules for operating drones in Europe, EASA (2015),
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/205933-01-EASA_Summary of the ANPA.pdf.
[5] J.-F. Ciparisse, A. Malizia, L.A. Poggi, O. Cenciarelli, M. Gelfusa, M.C. Carestia et al., Numerical
simulations as tool to predict chemical and radiological hazardous diffusion in case of
nonconventional events, Model. Simul. Eng. 2016 (2016) 1.
[6] Circolare Mezzi APR Centri di Addestramento e Attestati Pilota, https://www.enac.gov.it/repository/
ContentManagement/information/P730824716/LIC-15.pdf.
[7] Regolamento mezzi aerei a pilotaggio remoto, edizione 2, https://www.enac.gov.it/
ContentManagement/information/N122671512/Regolamento_APR_ed2_em2.pdf.
[8] NATO Handbook for Sampling and Identification of Biological, Chemical, And Radiological Agents
(SIBCRA), edition 1, AEP-66, Allied Engineering Publication (2011).
[9] J. Puton and J. Namieśnik, Ion mobility spectrometry: Current status and application for chemical
warfare agents detection, TrAC Trend. Anal. Chem. 85 (2016) 10.

–4–