Ambient Monitoring Portable Sensor Node for Robot-Based Applications

Area of Science:

• Chemical safety engineering
• Robotics and automation
• Environmental monitoring sensors

Background:

• Laboratory accidents involving gas and chemical vapor leakage pose risks to personnel and equipment.
• Automated laboratories increasingly use mobile and stationary robots for sample transport, necessitating safety monitoring solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the performance of a portable sensor node for detecting hazardous gas and chemical vapor leaks.
• To evaluate the sensor node's integration with mobile and stationary robots in automated laboratory settings.

Main Methods:

• A portable sensor node with four functional layers (power, control, sensing, communication) was developed.
• Three metal oxide semiconductor sensors (BME680, ENS160, SGP41) were tested against various chemicals and volatile organic compounds.
• The sensor node was deployed on a mobile robot (ASTI ProBOT L) and near stationary automation systems.

Main Results:

• The sensor node demonstrated distinct responses to different volumes of tested chemicals and volatile organic compounds.
• The metal oxide semiconductor sensors showed varying sensitivities to specific hazardous gases.
• The portable sensor node proved effective in detecting and monitoring gas leakages in simulated laboratory environments.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated portable sensor node is suitable for hazardous gas leakage detection and monitoring in automated laboratories.
• Integration with mobile and stationary robots enhances safety protocols in chemical handling environments.
• The sensor node's multi-sensor approach provides a robust solution for identifying diverse chemical threats.