Simulations and Experimental Verifications of an Algorithm for Radiation Source Mapping and Navigational Path...

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Engineering
• Computer Science

Background:

• Accurate mapping and localization of radiation sources are critical in various scientific and industrial fields.
• Existing methods often require extensive data, limiting their practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile algorithm for mapping and navigational path generation applicable to point source measurements following an inverse-square characteristic.
• To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of source localization in diverse environments.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel algorithm utilizing non-linear least squares methods.
• Extensive simulations (40,000) were conducted in a 10 m × 10 m × 10 m 3D space.
• Experimental verification using a radioactive Cesium-137 (137Cs) source and a Wi-Fi router.

Main Results:

• The algorithm achieved over 80% success rate in simulations across various noise levels.
• Experimental results showed 79.3% accuracy within 7 cm × 7 cm for the 137Cs source.
• The Wi-Fi router was localized within 7 m × 7 m in 57.9% of experimental tests.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm offers a data-efficient and accurate solution for source localization.
• Demonstrated potential for practical applications including lost source retrieval, decontamination, and infrastructure mapping.
• Further research is needed to address identified failure modes and explore potential improvements.