NAUTIZ X8 Helps with Radiation Detection Scan

Handheld’s Nautiz X8 ultra-rugged PDA has paired with the AT6101C backpack-style mobile spectrometer from Belarus-based ATOMTEX to aid in the detection of radiation. The AT6101C interacts with the Nautiz X8’s GPS, GPRS, Wi-Fi and BT functionalities to capture and geo-reference data, then stores the data directly on the mobile unit.

It uses sophisticated algorithms to estimate changes in radiation levels over time with high accuracy, identifies radionuclides and displays data visually via radioactive mapping with ATOMTEX’s custom software.

More than 300 X8’s are currently deployed as part of the AT6101С product. These workhorse ultra-rugged computers are being used to halt illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials at customs and border crossings, ensure radiation control at public events, and monitor many other worksites including nuclear facilities, building sites and scientific research environments.

While radiation is the primary threat to workers in such environments, tough outdoor and industrial conditions provide serious challenges for conventional technology. The Nautiz X8 is an IP67-rated handheld computer that passes MIL-STD-810G U.S. military standards for ruggedness. It can be used in extreme temperatures and varying altitudes, and keeps working through exposure to dirt, dust, water, drops and rough handling.

“Before we started working with Handheld, we advised our customers to use notebooks and other personal computers to measure radiation levels,” says Evgeny Bystrov, head of software at ATOMTEX. “These wired instruments were inconvenient, and they also drew too much attention in crowded places. Now our clients have full mobility in every kind of weather and can take discreet measurements anywhere.”