GammaPix: Low-cost, ubiquitous, ionizing-radiation detection

GammaPix is a software suite that enables CMOS and CCD cameras such as those in COTS IP surveillance cameras and smartphones to be used as ionizing-radiation detectors. GammaPix software detects the image artifacts that arise from the interaction of high-energy ionizing radiation with a digital camera sensor. With DHS/DNDO, DARPA and other funding, GammaPix sensitivity has improved by more than a factor of 100 as the technology has developed. The software's data capture and analysis routine feeds into an architecture that has client-server bi-directional data communication, sensor fusion, analysis, assessment, storage, data visualization, and alert messaging. Versions of the GammaPix software have been deployed to several venues including a NYPD K-9 Detachment, and multiple metro stations across transit systems in two major population centers. The primary objective of this project is to further enhance the operational capabilities of the GammaPix system to detect radiological threats and mitigate their consequences in both foreign and domestic settings. The improved detection, localization, and source-identification capabilities, combined with augmented data visualizations will provide users with actionable intelligence for the handling of radiation emergencies. The resulting system will be available for military force protection, public safety, and key intelligence applications.